


Where The Pieces Fall

by saddle_tramp



Series: Feels Like Coming Home [3]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-23
Updated: 2011-02-23
Packaged: 2017-10-15 21:50:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/165270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saddle_tramp/pseuds/saddle_tramp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rating: NC-17<br/>Spoilers: Up to episode 1x10, “Heihei”<br/>Warnings: m/m sexual content, explicit language, mentions of past het</p><p>Summary: Steve’s Monday started off amazing, but it went steadily downhill from there. Then, just when he was thinking it was irredeemable, it turned into one of the best days of his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where The Pieces Fall

**Author's Note:**

> I know the timeline’s not in line with the show. So sue me. It’s not like the show’s timeline always makes sense anyway. And do not even start with me on locations! Pi’ikoi Street is nowhere near the beach like Steve’s house is, so the Steve in my head lives on Mokulua Drive, which does fit fairly well with the often-used aerial approach to Steve’s house and actually makes sense of a lot of those scenes of Steve driving through the mountains with Danny on what looks a whole lot like the Pali Highway.
> 
> Title from the song _‘Love's The Only Rule’_ by Bon Jovi because the lyrics fit Steve and Danny very well in this story, especially this part:
> 
> _You've got your sins and I've got mine.  
>  Sell your secrets, kiss them all goodbye._
> 
> _Flying like an aero plane,  
>  Alive like a lonely note from John Coltrane.  
> Run like it's a getaway.  
> Say those things that you shouldn't say,  
> Think about it, wouldn't that be cool?  
> If love's the only rule._
> 
> _Might be a wrecking ball,  
>  Or just a wake up call,  
> Don't matter where the pieces fall… _

 

Steve had been having a really good dream that involved a lot of nakedness and Danny’s strong hands touching him in all the right ways while Danny trailed soft kisses over the tattoo on his lower back, so it took him a minute to realize he wasn't actually asleep anymore.

Steve had gone to bed virtuously alone even though Grace had gone back to her mother early the night before for some fancy dinner that came up suddenly, so it was a surprise to wake up and realize he wasn’t alone anymore. Danny’s hand really _was_ running over his body, strong and calloused and perfect as it stroked over his side down to his hip, stopping there for a moment before it began to move upwards again while Danny trailed soft kisses up his spine.

Steve shifted slightly, humming as he turned his head to look at Danny, who was standing by the bed wearing nothing but worn cotton boxers, blue eyes bright and shining in the dimly lit room. A glance at the clock told Steve it wasn’t even six yet, and he smiled softly as he met Danny’s gaze again and murmured, “Hey.” Danny just smiled and dropped to one knee by the bed before he leaned in to kiss Steve lovingly, his mouth tasting minty fresh when he licked into Steve’s mouth, and Steve pulled away with a little snort of a laugh. “Danny, no. Let me brush my teeth first.”

“Forget your teeth,” Danny murmured, and then he was kissing Steve again, insistent and hungry enough that it drew a low groan from Steve as he gave in and responded in kind. Danny ended the kiss after a minute or two, both of them breathing a little faster as he murmured, “I can ignore a little morning breath if you can.”

Steve rolled to his back, reaching for Danny to pull him closer as he murmured, “Get up here, then.”

Danny grinned suddenly and moved up onto the bed, covering Steve’s body with his own as he said soft and low, “Definitely the right answer, babe.”

Steve laughed quietly and moved one hand to Danny’s hair, pulling him down into another searching kiss that made Steve groan and respond hungrily as Danny’s body slowly settled a little closer to his. Danny purred softly into the kiss, his weight braced on his elbows and his hands on either side of Steve’s head, cupping his face between them to hold Steve still as Danny kissed him like he wanted to devour Steve mouth-first. The kiss quickly built in intensity until Steve was moving restlessly under Danny, hands stroking over Danny’s muscular back as he hooked one leg around Danny’s hips, grinding up against Danny and trying to make it obvious he was ready and willing to move on to more interesting things.

Danny finally broke the kiss to stare down at him, blue eyes intense as he murmured huskily, “Tell me what you want, babe.”

“You,” Steve replied simply, moving one hand back to Danny’s hair to stroke through the rumpled blond strands that were always softer than he had expected them to be. “Any way I can get you.”

“You’ve got me,” Danny promised softly, his head lowering to kiss Steve again as he shifted to settle between Steve’s thighs, finally resting his full weight on Steve.

Steve groaned softly at the welcome feel of Danny’s body pinning him down and the way Danny’s erection rubbed against his, easily able to feel it throbbing with Danny’s heartbeat even through the thin barrier of two pairs of underwear. Steve lifted his other leg to wrap it around Danny’s hips too as he moved his hands to Danny’s ass, pulling him closer as Steve’s hips lifted to grind against him with a low needy little whine. Danny didn’t need any more encouragement, his ass flexing under Steve’s hands as Danny started to thrust against him, and Steve was barely aware of the noises they were both making as his hips lifted to meet every thrust.

Steve had to break the kiss to gasp for breath before long, his head tipping back as Danny began trailing openmouthed kisses along his jaw and throat, licking and sucking at Steve’s skin as their bodies rocked together, and Steve was soon so lost in the intense pleasure he was feeling that his orgasm hit him completely by surprise. Danny groaned against Steve’s throat as Steve thrust erratically up against him, and Danny’s hips jerked just a few more times against Steve’s before he stiffened and came with a low growl, biting down on Steve’s neck and making Steve moan as his hips jerked again.

Danny slumped bonelessly over him after a minute or two, nuzzling Steve’s neck and then licking slowly over the bite mark he’d left as Steve just held on to him and waited for his heart to stop pounding so rapidly in his ears, a little amazed that just rubbing off against each other had felt so intense. Steve expected it to be mind-blowing when he and Danny finally had sex, of course – Danny was too intensely passionate for it not to be – but he had never really considered frottage to be sex. He hadn’t rubbed off against someone else since he was at Annapolis, and back then it had just been something he had to settle for because it was too risky to strip, but rubbing off against Danny had been nothing like it was with Steve’s old roommate, Kevin. Steve had usually still felt keyed-up and jittery for hours after Kevin left his bed, but lying there under Danny he felt relaxed and satisfied, at least for a while.

Steve turned his head to nuzzle Danny’s hair, running his hand over Danny’s muscular back slowly as Danny pressed another soft kiss to his neck and then pulled back enough to look at him, blue eyes warm and loving as Danny gave him an impish smile and murmured, “Good morning.”

Steve laughed. “Morning, _ipo_.” He lifted his head and kissed Danny, lingering for a few moments before he let his head fall back onto his pillow, smiling. “Do I get a wake-up call like this every day?”

“You do when Lilo has to go out so early that any sane creature would still be sleeping,” Danny said, smirking slightly as he shifted to slide his hands under Steve’s back, the weight of his upper body resting mostly on his elbows. “Next time I’ll wake you up getting out of bed, though, if she doesn’t wake you with her whining before that.”

Steve smirked a little as he ran his fingers through Danny’s hair and murmured, “I really like the sound of that.”

“Me too,” Danny admitted, his smirk softening into a sheepish little smile. “I had a hell of a time falling asleep last night, wanting to be with you instead of all alone in that bed that _still_ smells like that damned flowery perfume of Mary’s. I swear she must have _marinated_ the mattress in the stuff.”

“You should have just joined me,” Steve said softly, trailing his fingertips along Danny’s jaw as he realized finally that Danny had already shaved, too. “You know I wanted you with me.”

Danny smiled crookedly. “I was waiting until tonight, babe. You still haven’t gotten that date you wanted.”

“There’s no reason to wait,” Steve pointed out, amused. “I said I wouldn’t _marry you_ until I had at least gotten a date. I didn’t say anything about waiting for you to fuck me.”

Danny’s eyes widened a little. “You want me to do that? Seriously?”

“Yeah, I do,” Steve agreed, still amused. “We talked about that, remember? I don’t mind waiting until you’re ready, but I’m ready and willing whenever you want me.”

“I kind of thought that meant we would be waiting for sex,” Danny said slowly, still looking surprised. “Sorry babe, but you really don’t seem much like the bottom type.”

“And you do?” Steve asked with a soft laugh.

“Well, no, I guess not,” Danny admitted. “I haven’t, I mean, even though I kind of I want to. I mean, millions of gay men can’t _all_ be stupidly masochistic, right?”

Steve’s lips twitched as he tried not to laugh again, leaning up to kiss Danny lightly before he murmured, “I don’t mind working our way up to that, but I’m good with the idea of you fucking me, Danno.” He grinned suddenly. “Great, even. I _don’t_ get off on pain, but I’ve been looking forward to you fucking me for a long time.”

“Have you done that before?” Danny asked, looking curious.

“Yeah, I have,” Steve said quietly, his grin fading as he remembered the last time.

Danny just looked at him for a few moments and then murmured, “Why does thinking about it make you look so unhappy, babe?”

Steve gazed into Danny’s eyes for a long moment, trying to decide what to say before he finally went with the simple truth, sure Danny could handle it. “The last time was with Bullfrog, the day I had to kill him.”

Danny just looked at Steve for a long moment before he murmured, “I kind of knew that there was something like that going on with him.” He gave Steve a crooked little smile. “I hated him the moment I saw the way you looked at him, and how he acted towards you pissed me off in a major way.”

Steve smiled, amused. “I _knew_ you were jealous. I even told you that then.” His smile faded. “It didn’t stop me from letting him fuck me, though. We got a few minutes alone when I went to talk to him that day, and one thing led to another before I really had time to think about it.”

“I was so jealous I couldn’t see straight,” Danny admitted. “I just didn’t realize _then_ why seeing his face or listening to you talk about him made me want to put a bullet between his eyes. I mean, I told you it was because I didn’t think he could be trusted, but that wasn’t it, not really. I just couldn’t admit to either of us that I wanted to kill him because I hated seeing the way you looked at him.”

“Sometimes I wish you had,” Steve admitted very quietly. “I was so messed up that night on the beach that I made a dozen mistakes that gave him easy chances to kill me, but he let them pass because he still kind of wanted me to switch sides, I think. Then it finally dawned on me that if he got past me he’d go after you next, since you were closest, and I couldn’t let that happen. I knew he would kill you without even giving you a _chance_ to fight back, and once I realized that I had to choose him or you, it was a lot easier to do what I had to do. If you hadn’t been here, though…” He trailed off, looking away and falling silent as he remembered that night.

Shooting Bullfrog had been one of the hardest things Steve ever had to do, and it hadn’t gotten any easier after it was over and done with. After the swat team and the coroner were gone and Chin and Kono had taken Pak and his family to the hospital in protective custody, Danny had hung around for a little while trying to get Steve to talk to him before he finally gave up and left Steve alone with his thoughts. Steve had wandered silently through the wreckage of the house where he grew up, taking stock of the bullet holes everywhere and the broken windows and ruined furniture, and then he finally ended up standing on the _lanai_ , staring out at the ocean and wondering what the hell he had been thinking.

Steve had been shocked when Danny’s hand landed on his back a little while later while Danny had held out a bottle of good scotch in front of him with his other hand, saying he thought Steve needed it. They ended up in their chairs down on the beach, passing the bottle back and forth in silence as they watched the waves, and Steve had gotten as drunk as he probably ever had been in his life. He vaguely remembered Danny helping him into the house just after the sun rose, but then everything was a blank until he woke up face down on the couch that afternoon. There had been a bucket in the floor in front of the couch and a bottle of water on the coffee table next to his cell phone and a bottle of Tylenol with a post-it note stuck to the front that said ‘ _Take 3 and call me. D’_.

Steve had taken four of the Tylenol and called Danny, and they ended up going out for pancakes at a little after two in the afternoon before they returned to Steve’s place to meet Kono, Chin, and Kamekona and start cleaning up the mess. Steve and Danny had to head out to Hickam to see General Pak off before they were finished, but Steve had been very grateful for the way his _ohana_ had stepped in to help clean up the broken glass and haul away everything that had been shattered or broken beyond repair by the hail of bullets the night before. By the time Steve and Danny got back to Steve’s place, everything was cleaned up and the broken windows were all sealed off with heavy plastic, and Chin, Kono, and Kamekona were long gone.

“I _was_ here though, babe,” Danny murmured, moving one hand to Steve’s cheek and making Steve look at him again. Danny’s eyes were gentle and a little sad as he added softly, “I’m _always_ gonna be here for you.” He smiled slightly. “Even when you try to tell me you don’t need me.”

“It’s always a lie, _ipo_ ,” Steve said softly, leaning into Danny’s touch. “I need you like I need to breathe.”

“I know that now, babe,” Danny whispered, leaning down to kiss him again. Steve hummed softly as he responded, trying to put how he felt into the kiss and earning a soft low growl from Danny that made him smile against Danny’s lips.

They had been kissing languidly for a long while when Steve’s phone suddenly began to ring in the distinctive triple ring that he had set as Kono’s ringtone.

Danny pulled away with a groan, letting his head fall forward to rest his forehead on Steve’s shoulder as he muttered, “Well, at least she waited until _after_ we got off.”

Steve laughed and kissed Danny’s hair, patting his side. “Let me up, Danno. I can’t reach my phone.”

Danny sighed and rolled off of Steve towards the phone, surprising him by picking it up off the bedside table and answering it cheerfully. “If this is a call to say the surfing’s awesome this morning at some little beach only you and Steve and five other people know about, Kono, I might have to hurt you. Just, y’know, so you know.” Kono said something and then Danny pulled the phone away from his face, turning on the speakerphone. “We can both hear you now.”

Kono sounded slightly sheepish as she said, “Morning, Boss. Sorry to … interrupt.”

“Morning,” Steve replied, amused. “And you didn’t interrupt, or Danny would be a lot less cheerful.” Danny snorted and elbowed Steve as they heard Kono snicker. “What’s going on?”

“Body dump from a triple homicide at the east end of Maunalua Bay Park, not far from the end of Hawai'i Kai Drive,” Kono replied quickly, trying to sound serious again. “I heard a guy I was in the Academy with call it in on the scanner while I was on my way to Hanauma Bay, so I stopped to see if I could help until Homicide got here. They’ve got two bodies that are burned beyond recognition without running dental records or DNA, but the third has already been identified as the Mayor’s son by his prints. The detective on the case finally showed about the time we got the ID back, and when he called the Mayor to make the notification a few minutes ago, the Mayor told him that he wants Five-0 on the case. The detective’s kind of pissed about it and talking about taking his toys and going home, so I thought I’d better call you before he does, Boss.”

“You did good, Kono,” Steve said, turning his head to look at the clock, which said it was six-nineteen. “We’re on the way.”

“No, we are going to shower and get dressed, and I will walk the dog again, and _then_ we will be on the way,” Danny said firmly, putting Steve’s cell phone down on Steve’s chest as he sat up to swing his legs off the bed. “And I am not working a crispy critter homicide first thing in the morning without coffee for _anyone_.”

Steve looked at Danny, amused. “Crispy critter, Danno? Seriously?”

“I am so not even kidding, babe,” Danny said as he stood to head for the bedroom door. “If I don’t get a cup of coffee before we go, I will not be responsible for my actions.”

Steve chuckled as he picked up his phone, thumbing it off speakerphone and then putting his cell to his ear as he heard Danny thudding noisily down the stairs. “It’s officially a Five-0 investigation from here on out, Kono. Call Chin and get him up to speed, but you’re in charge until we get there. If that detective gives you any trouble _at all_ , call Governor Jameson and she can set him straight. Commandeer any HPD personnel you need to secure the scene and gather evidence until we can get there to back you up.”

“Alright, Boss,” Kono said cheerfully. “Should I call in Dr Bergman?”

“Yeah, we’ll need Max’s help identifying the other two bodies and finding cause of death,” Steve agreed, sitting up and then making a face at the way his boxer-briefs were stuck to him. He stood up and started towards the bathroom as he added, “You don’t need me telling you that, though.”

“Just making sure,” Kono said quickly, sounding just a little sheepish.

“You’re in charge,” Steve repeated, pausing by his dresser near the bathroom door. “You know what needs done, Kono. I’ve got faith in you.”

“Thanks, Boss,” Kono replied quietly, sounding pleased.

“See you soon,” Steve said, smiling as he hung up. He put the phone on the dresser and then continued into the bathroom, calling loudly, “You in the shower yet?”

“I think you would notice if I was already in your shower, babe!” Danny called back from downstairs, sounding amused.

Steve laughed and peeled out of his boxer-briefs, making a face at the sticky mess in them as he called, “I wasn’t sure if you were sharing with me or not.”

Steve moved to the toilet, flipping the lid up to take a leak as he leaned to look out the window at the beach. The water was beautiful that morning, of course, and he let himself think wistfully for a moment about that morning swim that he and Danny had planned to go for. He had been looking forward to _finally_ getting Danny in the water that morning, and he knew they probably wouldn’t have time to go the next day either, unless the case was absurdly easy, which just wasn’t fair at all. Steve had been waiting for months to get Danny to willingly go swimming with him, and waiting even a few days more was not anything he wanted to do.

The sound of Danny thudding back up the stairs distracted Steve, and he flushed the toilet as he moved over to the large tiled shower to turn the water on, calling, “Get in here if you’re joining me!”

Danny walked quickly through Steve’s bedroom and into the bathroom, looking amused as he stopped and let his gaze roam over Steve’s body. “I was starting the coffee. I was serious about not going anywhere without it.”

Steve snickered and looked over his shoulder at Danny, pleased to notice that Danny definitely liked what he saw. “We could have stopped for coffee on the way.”

“Yes, we could,” Danny agreed easily, an intent look in his eyes as his gaze roamed down Steve’s body and he moved closer. “But then we would have to go through town, and I know how you like to take that pigtrack down the beach to the end of the old Bellows runway so you can try to see just how fast the Camaro can go on a straight three-mile stretch of asphalt without having to worry about any traffic.”

Steve grinned, still watching Danny over his shoulder and enjoying the way Danny was staring at him as he pointed out, “It’s the fastest way southeast.”

“Besides _flying_ , yes,” Danny agreed with a laugh as his gaze lingered on Steve’s ass. “Not the _safest_ , and not a way you are _ever_ going with Grace in the car, but it _is_ the fastest, with you driving.”

“And I will be driving,” Steve added, stepping into the shower and moving under the spray. “You might want to get rid of those boxers before you join me.”

“No, really? Thank you so much for pointing that out for me!” Danny said, laughing slightly.

Steve turned under the spray to look at Danny again, smirking and making no effort to hide his own renewed arousal even when he saw Danny was blushing. They both knew there was no way they were getting in the shower together without getting off again. It was more likely that Danny would suddenly decide that pineapple and ham pizza was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted. “If you get a move on, I’ll make it worth your while.”

Danny kicked out of the boxers and moved towards the shower, naked and aroused and looking good enough to eat as far as Steve was concerned, which made him decide exactly how he wanted to get Danny off. “You will, huh?” Danny half-asked as he stepped into the shower with Steve, closing the door and then moving closer. Danny’s hands reached out to settle familiarly on the wet skin of Steve’s hips when he got close enough, thumbs stroking along the groove leading lower as Danny looked up at Steve and murmured with a grin, “Has anyone ever told you that your legs are just too damn long, babe?”

Steve smirked and ducked to kiss Danny, sliding his arms around Danny to pull him under the spray with him as he licked and nibbled at Danny’s lips and then murmured against them, “You weren’t complaining a little while ago when I had them wrapped around you.”

Danny let out a snort of a laugh, kissing him again and then pointing out, “This is true, but there’s a _reason_ it didn’t bother me then. You were flat on your back, so I could still reach all of you.” Steve grinned wickedly, opening his mouth to make a short joke, but before he could Danny added quickly, “Do _not_ say it.”

“But I can’t help it that you’re almost a foot shorter than me,” Steve said, grinning. 

“I warned you!” Danny said, laughing. “You are so not driving my Camaro today.”

“We can just go in the truck,” Steve said, still grinning. “I _like_ my truck.”

Danny smirked. “You like my Camaro better, don’t even try to deny it, you speed freak. Your truck won’t top one-forty like the Camaro will.”

“Well, yeah, this is true,” Steve admitted, and then he turned them around to quickly push Danny against the wall, smirking as he dropped to his knees. “Maybe I can persuade you to let me drive anyway.”

Danny wiped water out of his face and then his eyes widened just a bit when he saw Steve kneeling in front of him. His smirk turned a little more wicked as he ran his hands slowly over Steve’s shoulders, seeming to enjoy the feel of slick wet skin. “You’re welcome to try, babe.”

“Mm, good,” Steve murmured, running his hands along the strong muscles in Danny’s thighs as he turned his attention to Danny’s cock. It was jutting out from Danny’s body, thick and hard and flushed dark with blood, and Steve didn’t even try to resist the urge to taste, moving one hand to hold it steady and then licking slowly up the underside of the shaft to the crown. A fresh pulse of precome coated his tongue as the velvety flesh throbbed against his lips, and Steve groaned soft and low at the way the flavor flooded his mouth.

“Damn that’s hot,” Danny growled softly, making Steve glance up at him as he licked Danny’s cock again, slow and so light he knew it wasn’t doing anything but making Danny want more. Danny groaned and then murmured huskily, “I’d love to let you take your time, but we’ve got places to be this morning, babe, remember? Stop torturing me and just go for it.”

Steve grinned. “Okay.” He didn’t give Danny any more warning, closing his lips around the head of Danny’s cock and then keeping his lips tight around it as he put his hands on Danny’s hips to hold him still and pressed forward to take more of it in his mouth. He loved the taste and feel of Danny’s hard cock throbbing in his mouth as he swallowed around it, easily letting the head slip into his throat and then burying his nose in the dark hair around the base.

Danny gasped out softly, “Oh holy fuck.” Steve looked up at him, feeling smug and sucking hard as he pulled back off Danny’s cock. Danny shuddered, muscles flexing as he stared into Steve’s eyes and whispered just loud enough for Steve to hear him over the sound of the shower, “Keep that up and this won’t last long, babe.”

Steve pulled off of Danny’s cock with a wet pop, loving the way Danny’s hips jerked against his hands as he smirked up at him. “I thought that was the idea.”

Steve didn’t wait for Danny to answer, dropping his gaze back to Danny’s cock as he took it in his mouth again and then closed his eyes, swallowing Danny’s cock down as he let himself just get lost in the pleasure of sucking him off. It had been a long time since he had someone’s cock in his mouth – before he met Danny, in fact – but oral had always been one of his favorite parts of sex with another man. He loved the rush of hearing the noises he could draw out of anyone he went down on, loved knowing he could take even a strong man apart just with his mouth, and it was even more intense knowing that it was _Danny_ he was driving so quickly and easily towards the edge.

Danny moved one hand to the back of Steve’s head, making no effort to guide Steve’s movements as he made quiet little noises that sounded almost pained, and Steve opened his eyes to look up again. Danny was watching him intently, biting his lower lip hard, and Steve pulled off Danny’s cock again to murmur, “Stop trying to stay quiet, Danno. There’s nobody around and I want to hear you.”

Steve took Danny’s cock in his mouth again without giving Danny time to answer, tongue flicking at the sensitive spot just below the slit as he sucked firmly, and he smiled inwardly as Danny let out a low groan. He began to really suck Danny off then, mouth and tongue constantly moving as he varied the suction, and he loved the noises Danny was making and the way the shower’s acoustics made them seem even louder. It seemed like every gasp and moan went straight to Steve’s cock, which was already as hard as he could ever remember it being when it hadn’t been touched at all.

Danny moved his hands to Steve’s shoulders after a few minutes and held on like he needed help staying on his feet, his body curving forward over Steve as he gasped out, “Steve.” That was all the warning Steve got before Danny was coming, and the salty-bitter flavor that flooded Steve’s mouth made him groan. He swallowed every drop as he shuddered, and then when Danny was done he moved one hand to his own erection and gave it just one pull before he came hard, making him have to pull his mouth off of Danny’s cock to gasp for breath as he rested his forehead against Danny’s thigh.

Danny slid down the wall, letting the foot of his bad leg slide across the tiled shower floor to keep that knee almost straight as he moved his hands to Steve’s face, tipping his head up. Danny kissed him hard then, ignoring the water that still rained down on them as he growled at the taste of his own come and deepened the kiss. Steve let out a low moan as he moved his hands up to Danny’s shoulders and then around to his back, moving closer as he tilted his head to let Danny lick deeper into his mouth, their tongues sliding together wet and hot and absolutely perfect as far as Steve was concerned.

Danny pulled away with a gasp after a few minutes, resting his forehead against Steve’s and closing his eyes as he whispered, “Fuck, babe. That was…  wow.”

Steve smiled, kissing Danny softly before he murmured, “Glad you approve, _ipo_.”

Danny let out a little snort of a laugh, blue eyes sparkling and looking a little tired but very happy. “I more than approve, babe. If that’s how you’re gonna persuade me to let you do something, I might be in trouble.”

Steve grinned. “I’ll remember that.”

“Good, you do that,” Danny said with a grin. “And while you’re at it, get up and give me a hand. Getting down here was easy ‘cause gravity works, but getting back up’s a whole different story.”

“Don’t worry, I got you.” Steve stood and offered Danny his hands, hauling him to his feet as he added, “I think we’re through with the shower, though, how about you?”

Danny snickered. “Yes, we definitely are.” He reached up to grab the back of Steve’s neck, pulling him down into a quick, hungry kiss while Steve turned off the water, then Danny let him go and moved to open the shower door. “We’ve got to get our asses dressed and in the car, or Kono and Chin are never gonna shut up about us being late to work.”

Steve followed Danny out of the shower, grinning as he grabbed a towel and feeling pretty amazing for so early in the morning. “Kono doesn’t expect us until around seven.”

Danny walked out into the bedroom with his towel, drying off as he headed for the door and said, “It’s after six-thirty now babe, and we got what, twenty miles to go?”

“We’ll make it,” Steve said confidently. “Just go get dressed and grab the dog, I’ll get the coffee.”

“She coming with us?” Danny called from Mary’s room, where all of his clothes were.

Steve moved to his dresser to get some boxer-briefs, stepping into them as he called, “Yeah, why not? That carrier we got will keep her out of trouble while we’re busy, and the vet said not to let her run around too much anyway. If she’s with us, we can keep her pacified.”

“Works for me,” Danny said as he walked back to the door of Steve’s room, already in faded blue boxers as he buttoned the pale blue shirt he had just pulled on. “Don’t forget your vest.”

“It’s in the trunk with yours,” Steve said, giving Danny a quick grin as he stepped into a pair of cargo pants. “Would you do me a favor?”

“Sure babe,” Danny said, rolling up one sleeve and looking amused. “It’s not like I’m in a _hurry_ or anything. I got all the time in the world to do favors for you.”

Steve grinned at him, buttoning his pants and then grabbing a t-shirt as he said, “Forget the tie today. Please?”

Danny let out an amused snort and turned to walk back to Mary’s room as he said, “I’ll think about it.”

Steve smirked, pulling his t-shirt on and then tucking it in as he called, “I promise I’ll make it worth your while later.”

“I’ll think about it,” Danny repeated, laughing. “Just get dressed and get your damned boots on, and let me worry about my clothes!”

Steve laughed and grabbed a pair of socks out of a drawer and then got his belt off the dresser, moving to the bed as he quickly threaded the belt into the loops at the top of his cargo pants. “I am dressed!”

A few moments later Steve was pulling on one of his desert boots as he heard Danny start talking in Mary’s room again. “Settle down, Lilo.” There was a moment of silence and then Danny laughed and said, “Aw dammit, now come on, hold _still_!”

Steve snickered, efficiently speed-lacing his boot and then switching feet to put the other boot on as he called, “Need some help, Danno?”

“No!” Danny called back, sounding amused. There was a moment of silence while Steve speed-laced the other boot and then Danny added, “Hah! There. I can wrestle a three-pound puppy into a shirt all by myself, thank you very much!”

Steve laughed and pulled his pant leg back down over his boot before he stood to move to the dresser, clipping his badge and his gun to his belt and then putting his pocket knife, the Camaro’s keys, and his cell in their usual pockets before he opened his top drawer and took out two extra clips of bullets, putting them in the cargo pocket down on his right thigh. He closed the drawer again and then lifted his left foot, bracing it on the dresser long enough to pull up the leg of his pants and strap his backup gun in place against the inside of his calf. He put his foot down and straightened his pant leg again, and then switched feet to tuck his Ka-Bar into the sheath inside his other boot. He dropped that foot back to the floor, stomping to settle his pants and then moving to grab a button-front shirt out of the nearby closet, heading for the hallway as he heard Danny walking quickly towards his door. “You ready?”

“Yes, we’re ready,” Danny said quickly, breezing past Steve with Lilo under one arm and her carrier in the other hand, a tie tucked into the pocket on the end of the carrier. Lilo was wearing the blue Navy t-shirt and wagging her tail, looking alert and happy as Danny carried her down the stairs. “Get the coffee while I walk the mutt so we can go.”

Steve followed Danny down the stairs, smirking as he reached out to deftly grab Danny’s tie and flipped it over the banister. “Don’t forget to buckle the seatbelt into her carrier so it can’t slide around.”

“I got it covered, babe.” Danny headed for the front door, scooping up Lilo’s leash and harness off the table by the door with one finger and then stopping as he said, “Come open the damned door, though. My hands are full.”

Steve moved to unlock the door and open it, kissing Danny lightly and then reaching into his own pocket for the keys as he teased, “Might help if I unlock the car, too.”

Danny laughed and headed quickly out to the car. “Then do it!”

Steve grinned and pushed the button to unlock the car, hearing the alarm beep as he said, “Hurry up walking her.”

“I will, you just get my coffee!” Danny called back, sounding amused.

Steve turned to head into the kitchen, moving to the cabinet to get down two of the travel mugs they used for coffee and then quickly filling them as he inhaled the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. He snapped the lids on the cups and then moved to the pantry, grabbing a couple of the trail mix bars he kept around for mornings they didn’t have time for breakfast and then scooping up the coffee mugs to head for the car, sure that they were going to be late, no matter what he had told Danny.

The clock on the microwave said six forty-nine and there was no way in hell even _Steve_ could drive from the end of Mokulua Drive where he lived all the way down to where Hawai'i Kai Drive dead-ended into Maunalua Bay Beach Park in ten minutes. It was only about fourteen miles, but for most of that fourteen miles Steve would either be on a dirt road or dodging Monday morning traffic on the only major highway linking the eastern shore of Oahu to southern Honolulu. At seven in the morning the Kalanianole Highway was sure to be fairly crowded with people heading into the city for work, and Steve wished not for the first time that there was a decent paved road straight over the mountains through the Kuliouou Forest Reserve, even though he knew it wasn’t ever going to happen.

If Steve got very lucky he _might_ be able to manage eighty on the Kalanianole Highway that time of morning, but sixty was a lot more likely.

 

~*~

 

Danny finished off his water and dropped the empty bottle in the back floorboard as he looked at the clock on the dash and then sighed, glancing at Steve before he turned his head back towards the house they had just left.

The Mayor’s son, Makalohi, had been nineteen with no obvious enemies, and none of the friends they had been able to track down so far had been the least bit shady. What should have been them hunting down a killer had turned into a long day of driving all over the island making death notifications to everyone Makalohi had been known to talk to, and Danny had had more than enough of being the bearer of bad news for one day. They hadn’t been shot at or threatened in any way even once that day, which was nice, but Danny was getting so tired of trying to console crying kids that he almost would have _preferred_ someone shooting at them. Then at least they would have a suspect and could shoot back instead of being left with a lot of loose ends that literally led to absolutely nothing but tears.

The house they had just left was the home of a girl Makalohi had dated off and on for the last year of high school, and she had been devastated to hear he was dead just like the last three leads they had. Nobody had seen Makalohi since he went to a party in Waianae with pretty much every other college kid on the island on Friday night. The kid had dropped off the radar completely after he drove a pickup full of drunk kids back to the dorm early Saturday morning, and every lead they had gotten so far just led to a lot more nothing. His battered old Nissan pickup was still in the dorm parking lot even though the keys were in it, and everything in his dorm room seemed to be completely untouched, giving them nothing to go on.

Makalohi had no enemies they could find, he made good grades in school studying to be a physical therapist, and he didn’t do drugs or really _anything_ interesting. By all accounts he was a really sweet, easygoing kid who didn’t drink or party on his own but was always willing to play designated driver when his buddies wanted to party. Everyone they had spoken to loved the kid and was devastated by his death, and they still had no clue where to start looking for whoever had turned him into a crispy critter, especially since they still had no ID at all on the other two bodies. Max had been able to tell them a cause of death – all three died from a nine millimeter bullet to the forehead – and that the unidentified bodies were both young, male, and at least mostly Asian, but that fit about a third of the population of Honolulu so it wasn’t really helpful at all, and they wouldn’t know more on the ID until Max got DNA results back.

Danny looked back over at Steve, letting his gaze linger as he took in the tiny signs that he wasn’t the only one ready to call it a day. Danny knew Steve as well as he knew anyone, so Steve’s weariness stuck out like a flashing billboard to him, making him feel a little better about how tired he was. Steve was sprawled in the driver’s seat sipping at a bottle of water Danny had handed to him a few minutes earlier, looking fairly normal unless you knew him well enough to notice the stress lines around his eyes and the slight slump to his shoulders. Steve would normally have taken off the moment they were back in the car, looking for another lead or heading for the office or doing _something_ out of a sheer need to keep moving, but at the moment he seemed content to just sit and think, which told Danny all he figured he needed to know.

Steve finished off his water, dropping the empty bottle over his shoulder into the back, and Danny made a decision. Neither of them had eaten anything since the burgers Kono had given them when they all met at the office for a few minutes around eleven. The burgers had been pretty crappy – Danny never went to McDonalds if he had a choice, but Kono loved a Big Mac and it had been her idea to get everyone lunch – but after having just a granola bar for breakfast, Steve and Danny had both inhaled their burgers anyway. Steve hadn’t even complained about how bad for them the burgers were, which was a sure sign that he was too hungry to care what he was eating as long as it didn’t try to bite back.

Thinking about food made Danny realize how hungry he was again, and he watched Steve closely as he murmured, “We’ve been in this car chasing leads for _hours_ , babe, and we are back to square one again.”

Steve looked at Danny. “Tell me something I don’t know, Danno.”

“How about this? I’m tired and hungry, and knowing you like I do, I know I’m not the only one,” Danny pointed out. “We’re out of leads until somebody tracks down that new girl Makalohi was dating this week, and Chin and Kono are working with HPD on that so they’ve got it covered. We’re in Kailua already, so I vote we head home, change clothes, and go get some dinner.”

“We _do_ have those reservations for seven,” Steve agreed, brightening a little. “It’d be a shame to waste them.”

“It would, and Chin and Kono can call us if they need us,” Danny added, “so we won’t even be wasting time, really. If we don’t eat some real food soon, neither one of us is gonna be worth shooting.”

Steve leaned over to kiss Danny soundly and then started the car and pulled away from the curb, starting to make a u-turn almost as soon as the car was moving. “Call Kono and let her know we’re going to go eat and then head back to the office until nine or somebody finds us a concrete lead, whichever comes first.”

“I’m liking this plan,” Danny said, grinning as he dug his phone out of his pocket. Usually Chin was in charge of keeping track of everyone, but he was on his bike that day and the other three didn’t like him talking on the phone while he drove, not any more. Chin had been sideswiped by a couple of teenage girls in a Toyota recently while he was on his bike talking on his cell to Danny, which had made Steve declare Kono would be keeping them all connected whenever Chin rode the Harley from now on. “And at nine?”

“If they don’t find us something solid by then, we’re going home,” Steve said firmly. “There’s no reason to pull an all-nighter on this case. I still think Makalohi just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and was collateral damage in a completely unrelated killing. If it’s a serial killer, I’ll eat my hat.”

Danny hit speed dial two, putting his cell to his ear while it rang as he gave Steve an amused look and pointed out, “You haven’t _got_ a hat.”

“Yeah I do,” Steve disagreed with a soft laugh as Danny heard Kono pick up the phone. “I’ve got over a dozen ball caps in my closet, one from every ship I ever served on.”

“Hey, Danny,” Kono said then, sounding as tired as he felt. “Any luck in Kailua?”

“Zilch,” Danny said. “How about you?”

“Nothing here either,” Kono agreed. “I talked to Chin a while ago, though, and he might have something. He finally managed to track down Gail’s roommate in Waianae, Maria, who said Gail is probably up near Kahuku visiting her cousin that just had a baby. Maria hasn’t seen Gail in a week, but they both work at the same Starbucks and Maria said their boss talked to Gail on the phone this morning so Chin tracked him down. Their boss told Chin that he fired Gail when she called around nine today to say she wouldn’t be in for the next two days, and then Gail said something about not even bothering to come back and hung up on him. Chin’s heading back to the office now to run down the cell phone number Gail called from and see if he can get a location for where she was this morning.”

“Why didn’t he just call it in to HPD and have them get the location?” Danny asked, a little surprised. “Wasn’t he still in Waianae?”

“That’s where he was,” Kono agreed, “but when he called HPD to ask them to track the number, he was told that it’d be tomorrow before anyone could get to it.”

“Did he keep the name of the asshole that said that?” Danny asked, frowning. “He’s Five-0 and HPD is supposed to make anything he throws to them a _priority_.”

“Of course he didn’t,” Kono said wearily. “He won’t even argue with them, you know that.”

Danny sighed, running his hand through his hair. “They’re never gonna stop that crap if he doesn’t nail somebody to the wall.”

“What happened?” Steve asked, making Danny look at him quickly. Steve was frowning slightly as he added, “Is somebody in HPD interfering with our investigation again?”

Danny moved his phone away from his mouth a bit and said, “Chin needed HPD to run down a cell phone number, and they told him it’d be tomorrow before they could get to it.”

Steve frowned more. “And he didn’t get the name of whoever said that, of course.”

“If he did, he’s not gonna tell us,” Danny pointed out. “He doesn’t want us to make any more waves for him.” Danny and Steve had torn into several HPD officers for the way they treated Chin, and Governor Jameson had even had a little talk with the Chief of Police, but it hadn’t really helped all that much. Chin was still treated like a traitor, despite the fact that Chin and Five-0 had been instrumental in revealing an _actual_ mole in the department.

Steve scowled and muttered something under his breath that Danny was very sure wasn’t English _or_ complimentary, making Danny snort softly in amusement.

“Was that all you needed, Danny?” Kono asked, pulling Danny’s attention back to her.

“No, I called to let you know we’re going home to change and then heading to Santiago’s,” Danny said, looking at the road ahead of them and wondering bemusedly where Steve was going as they turned off of a residential side street onto a narrow dirt track heading off into the bushes. “We’re only a few miles from the house anyway, and we’re _starving_. We have those reservations waiting on us, so we’re gonna go eat some decent food Steve doesn’t have to cook and then head to the office.”

“Don’t bother coming by the office,” Kono said quickly, sounding pleased. “You and the boss go eat and relax. I’m at TJ’s now getting dinner for me and Chin, and then I’m gonna meet him at headquarters for dinner. I’ll get Lilo for you and take her home with me tonight, I don’t mind.”

They had started the day with Lilo in her carrier in the Camaro’s back seat, but the pup had been thoroughly tired of riding in the car by the time they headed back to the office to regroup and grab lunch. They had ended up stopping to get more puppy housetraining pads, a dog bed, bowls, food, a puppy pen, and a few toys at Petsmart on the way to the office so they could just leave her in the corner of Danny’s office for the day. One of the two HPD rookies that had been assigned to their offices to play gofer had been in Danny’s office most of the day anyway while he did data-entry for them, and Officer Loh had said he’d be glad to keep an eye on Lilo.

Danny chuckled. “I don’t even have to ask to know what Steve’ll say to that, Kono, so forget it. We’re not gonna stay at the office all night for this one, but we’re coming in for at least a little while after dinner. If nothing breaks by nine, we’ll take our pup and go home.”

“I think it’s a waste of time, brah, but okay,” Kono pointed out, but she sounded amused. “I’ll probably be at the office when you get there, unless Chin finds something we need to track down tonight.”

“I think you and Chin need to pack it in at nine, too.” Danny looked over as Steve, asking, “That sound good to you, babe? They’ve been running at least as hard as we have, and I know I’m beat.”

“Definitely,” Steve agreed without hesitation. “We’ve all been at it since dawn, and if we keep pushing we’ll just make mistakes. Better to get some sleep and start again first thing in the morning. Tomorrow’s another day, and Max ought to have some ID on the other two bodies by then so we have something to go on.”

“Steve agrees, so it’s official,” Danny said, smiling as he looked back at the trail in front of them, wondering where in the world it ended up. It was so narrow that bushes actually rubbed against the car in a lot of places, and there wasn’t really any road at all anymore besides two ruts in a narrow strip of tall grass that didn’t even get enough traffic to be worn down to dirt. “At nine we all call it a night.”

“I’ll tell Chin when I get to the office,” Kono said, sounding pleased. “We’ll see you there later.”

“See you then,” Danny agreed as Steve turned onto another narrow dirt road, this time heading east.

“ _Aloha_ ,” Kono said cheerfully, and then the line went dead as she hung up.

Steve turned left off of the dirt road onto a wide strip of asphalt then, accelerating, and Danny suddenly knew where they were. He laughed and looked at Steve as he said, “Trust you to find a reason to take the old airstrip _again_.”

Steve glanced at Danny, grinning, and then he put his gaze back on the runway so he could dodge the worst of the potholes as he said, “This is a straight shot to Fire Road and there’s no traffic or one-way streets to worry about, so it’s the quickest way home from where we were.”

“Of course it is,” Danny agreed teasingly, amused. “Will we be making a third trip down the runway today, or are we taking the Pali Highway to Honolulu like normal people?”

“Santiago’s is only a few blocks off of Pali,” Steve said, still grinning as he had to slow down to avoid scattered chunks of the old concrete barriers that used to mark the end of the runway.

Steve let the Camaro coast as they left the end of the runway and pulled onto Fire Road, and Danny couldn’t help but grin at how pleased with himself Steve looked. “Did you ever make sure your suit is clean?”

Steve glanced at Danny, his grin fading. “I’m a Navy officer. I’m wearing my uniform.”

Danny laughed. “Oh hell no,” he said quickly. “You are _not_. We’d never make it to the car, much less the restaurant.”

Steve’s eyebrows rose and he looked at Danny again, smirking. “Oh really?”

“Yes, really,” Danny said, feeling his face heat up. “Which is why it’s not happening, so forget about it. I _know_ you have a nice suit. I’ve seen you wear it more than once when we had to look respectable.”

“Well, yeah,” Steve admitted as they reached the end of Fire Road and pulled off of it onto a barely-there narrow rut through the grass that led across the point and around to pass behind Steve’s house before it dead-ended into Mokulua Drive. “I just don’t like it. It makes me feel like I’m in a straight jacket or something. It’s too tight across the shoulders now.”

“That’s what happens when you swim a few _miles_ pretty much every day before breakfast,” Danny pointed out, amused. “Just how strict is Santiago’s dress code?”

“Pretty strict for dinner,” Steve answered, looking wry as he glanced at Danny again. “They probably won’t let us in at all without a suit and tie.”

“Then it sounds like you’re wearing that suit anyway, babe,” Danny said with a grin. “My suits are wide enough through the shoulders for you, but the sleeves aren’t long enough because you’re such a gorilla.”

Steve laughed slightly. “You’re just _short_.”

“I am _compact_ ,” Danny corrected, smirking at Steve. “But I am all muscle, whereas you are all giraffe-like arms and legs.”

“Are you saying I don’t have enough muscle?” Steve asked, looking surprised but definitely amused.

“No, you have plenty of muscle,” Danny said quickly, still smirking. “And it’s definitely in all the right places, but you cannot deny you have the longest arms and legs of anyone we know. If you do, I might have to call you a liar.”

Steve looked at Danny a moment and then laughed, looking back at where they were going as he turned off of the dirt road across the point onto the barely-visible trail through the grass that led to their driveway. “Okay. I concede that point. I’ve only met two guys with a reach as long as mine.”

“You know Andre the Giant _and_ Shaquille O’Neal?” Danny asked, pretending to be surprised.

Steve pulled up near the front walk and then looked at Danny as he turned off the car, grinning. “You are such a smartass. You just can’t help it, can you?”

Danny grinned. “Who said I try?” He leaned to kiss Steve and then grabbed the Camaro’s keys and got out of the car as he added cheerfully, “Now get your ass in gear, babe. We have reservations in barely an hour, and I remember how long it took you to get ready last time you had to wear that suit.”

Steve got out of the car to follow Danny to the house, laughing. “I hadn’t had a shower in two days last time because of that damned case we were on!”

“Uh-huh, likely story,” Danny teased, unlocking the door and then pocketing his keys as he headed for the stairs. “Save the excuses for somebody who doesn’t know you can strip in five seconds flat and shower in a minute or less, hot water or not.”

Steve just laughed again and followed him inside, heading up the stairs just a few steps behind Danny.

Danny was about halfway up the stairs when he saw his tie on the railing and stopped, grabbing it and turning around to shake it in Steve’s face. “I must have dropped it, huh?” Danny had felt naked most of the day because he wasn’t wearing a tie, especially whenever he caught Steve staring at his throat. He had been _sure_ Steve got rid of his tie that morning, and he was obviously right.

“Okay, so, _I_ might have dropped it,” Steve admitted as he stopped on the step right below the one Danny was on.

Danny realized Steve was still taller than him even when he was standing a step higher on the stairs, if just barely, and he didn’t even think before he said, “God, you’re just _absurdly tall_ , aren’t you?”

“No, not really,” Steve said, grinning. “You’re just kind of not.”

Danny poked Steve in the chest with the index finger of the hand still holding his tie as he said warningly, “You might want to shut up now, Steven. You’re _still_ digging that hole you started this morning, and sooner or later it’s gonna just cave in on top of you.”

“I don’t mind you on top,” Steve replied, smirking a little.

“Keep it up and _nobody’ll_ top tonight, ‘cause you’ll be sleeping alone,” Danny said, turning away to head for Mary’s room again so Steve wouldn’t see his amusement.

“Aww, Danno, don’t be like that!” Steve said quickly, laughing a bit as he followed Danny up the stairs. “You know I was just teasing. I love you exactly like you are.”

Danny turned to look at Steve again at the top of the stairs, trying to hide his amusement. “Are you sure about that? ‘Cause you’ve been pointing out how short I am _all damn day_ and I’m starting to wonder.”

Steve moved in close to Danny, sliding his arms around Danny’s waist as he gave Danny a sheepish little grin and said, “I just keep thinking about this morning in the shower and how hot you were when I was on my knees looking up at–“

“Okay, stop _right there_!” Mary’s familiar voice called from her room. “ _Way_ too much information, guys!”

Danny’s eyes widened and he pulled away from Steve to walk quickly to Mary’s room, stopping a few feet inside the door to stare at her.

Mary was wearing ratty old jeans, a tank top, and black knee-high boots with stiletto heels, sitting cross-legged on her bed and looking amused but just a little surprised. Danny hadn’t taken time to make the bed that morning but she didn’t seem to care, sitting right in the middle of the rumpled sheets with a huge bowl of Fruit Loops in her lap. She took a bite of cereal while Danny watched, munching while she waited for them to say something, and Danny was suddenly reminded strongly of his little sister Megan, even though Megan wouldn’t be caught dead in ripped-up jeans with a skin-tight tank top and hooker boots.

“Uh, hi Mare,” Steve said, stopping close enough behind Danny that Danny could feel the heat of his body. “You _usually_ call before you show up.”

Mary shrugged, smirking a bit as she chewed and swallowed. “I heard a rumor that my brother _finally_ noticed that he got gay married _six months ago_ , and I wanted to know if it was true.” She looked around her room pointedly. “The state of my room points to no, but…” She looked back at Steve and Danny, smirking wider. “My ears say maybe you did.” She paused and then added, “Just don’t talk about sex around me anymore. It’s weird.” She gave Danny a quick visual once-over, looking a little wistful. “I kind of wish you had picked somebody else though. I was hoping to get somewhere with this one if he ever quit following you around like a lost puppy. He’s hot and sweet and he’s an _awesome_ dad, and guys like that are really hard to find.”

Steve moved around Danny to stand between him and Mary, making Danny have to hide a grin as Steve said sharply, “Don’t _even_ go there, Mare. He’s _mine_.”

“I don’t see a tag that says ‘Property of Stevie McGarrett’,” Mary pointed out, smirking a bit.

“He doesn’t need a tag, he’s not a _dog_ ,” Steve said pointedly. “And don’t even _think_ about trying to talk him into dating you behind my back like you did with Keoka. Danny’s _not_ a sixteen-year-old boy that’ll say yes to anything that involves him getting laid.”

Danny’s eyebrows rose and he moved around next to Steve, staring at him in shock. “Wait, _what_? Keoka, the guy whose _boat_ we went out on Saturday? _That_ Keoka?” Steve looked sheepish and a bit guilty, running one hand over his hair, and Danny snorted. “Never mind, you just answered me.” He pointed one finger at Steve. “We’ll talk about the _obvious_ need for you to _tell me_ when I meet your high school sweethearts _privately_. Preferably in the car, where I can yell at you as loud as I want without inflicting the lecture you so richly deserve on innocent bystanders.” He glanced at Mary and then back at Steve as he added, “Not that _she’s_ innocent, but you get my drift, I know. The _neighbors_ might hear this one if I start in on you right now.”

“Anything you say, Danno,” Steve agreed, still looking sheepish, then he opened his mouth like he was going to say more and Danny waved a hand at him.

“No, Steven! Just quit while you’re ahead,” Danny said firmly, and he was pleased when Steve shut his mouth quickly. Danny turned around to look at Mary again then, giving her an obvious, lingering once-over that made her eyes widen as she smiled and gave him a hopeful look, then he smirked and turned back to Steve. “And for the record, babe, you have nothing to worry about. I am not as stupid as Keoka evidently is. I have the McGarrett I want already, and after six months I’m _very_ sure that one McGarrett is enough for _anybody_.”

Steve grinned suddenly, so wide and happy that Danny had to grin too as Steve murmured, “ _Aloha au ia ‘oe_.”

Danny suddenly wanted very badly to grab Steve and kiss him and he didn’t even bother to try resisting the impulse, reaching up for the back of Steve’s neck to pull him down into a kiss. Steve responded warmly, letting out a low pleased hum as his hands settled on Danny’s hips, tugging him a step closer before Steve’s arms slid around him to keep him there while Steve deepened the kiss. Danny smiled slightly and parted his lips to let Steve explore his mouth, his left arm going around Steve so he could put that hand low on Steve’s back while he tangled the other hand in Steve’s short hair and tipped his head slightly to give them a better angle on the kiss.

“That’s just wrong,” Mary complained after a minute or two. “Seeing my _brother_ kissing somebody isn’t supposed to be so _hot_.”

Danny sucked on Steve’s tongue a moment longer before he let go of him, breathing a little fast as he turned his head to smirk at Mary. “So don’t watch us.” He looked up at Steve, tugging his head down for another brief kiss before he let go of Steve to walk away towards the closet, adding, “If you’re not wearing that suit in ten minutes, babe, you _will_ regret it. If we miss our reservations, I might have to shoot you.”

“Right, suit,” Steve said quickly, turning to leave Mary’s room and then stopping again at the door. “Are you staying, Mare?”

Danny looked over at Mary as he pushed aside the clothes he had hung in the closet to get to his suit, watching curiously as Mary rolled her eyes and said, “I had _planned_ to, but since my room seems to be _occupied_ …” She looked around pointedly and then looked back at Steve. “I’m not sleeping in that drab cell you used to live in _or_ on the couch, so I guess I have to find a bed somewhere else.”

“If you can wait until we get back and let me grab my stuff, you’ll have your room back tonight,” Danny said as he pulled the hanger that held his best suit out of the closet. “I was planning to sleep with Steve anyway.”

“You were?” Steve said, drawing Danny’s attention to him.

Steve was giving Danny that goofy grin of his and looked so happy that Danny had to laugh. “Yeah, babe, I told you that Lilo would be waking us both up from now on, remember? I was just trying to do like you said and wait until you at least got that date you wanted.”

Mary started giggling and Steve blushed slightly, making Danny’s eyebrows go up as Mary asked, “He wouldn’t put out until he got a _date_?”

Danny smirked at Mary. “No, he wouldn’t agree to get _married_ until he got a date, brat. We’re going out to Santiago’s as soon as he gets into that monkey suit he hates so much, and then we’ve got some work to do, but when we get home I figure I’m allowed to sleep with my fiancé.” He looked at Steve, adding, “Among other things.”

“Definitely,” Steve said quickly. Danny started towards Steve, feeling kind of smug that Steve looked like somebody just handed him a bazooka and told him that just this once he could blow up anything he wanted to. “It’s a requirement, even. If you sleep anywhere but in my bed, you better take me with you.”

“I can handle that, babe,” Danny said, pausing by Steve and grinning up at him. “We’re a package deal.”

“’Til death do us part,” Steve agreed, still looking so happy it kind of amazed Danny, even though Danny was feeling more than a little happy himself.

Danny gave Steve a shove with his free hand. “No getting us killed, asshole! Grace is _not_ growing up without me _or_ you, even if you still haven’t told me why she calls you _makua_ all of a sudden, or what it means.”

“ _Makua_ is the word for parent,” Mary supplied helpfully, making Danny turn to look at her in surprise. She was smirking and looking kind of smug as she added, “Well, _technically_ it’s anyone in her parents’ generation that’s related to her, but mostly it’s used for honorary aunts and uncles, godparents, that kind of thing. People that are claimed as family, but aren’t her mom and dad. _Makua kane_ means father, and _makuahine_ is mother.”

Danny turned back towards Steve, who looked just a little sheepish as he said quickly, “I didn’t tell her to call me that, Danno, she just _did_.”

“Yeah, well, you two will have to find something better than that,” Danny said firmly. “You are _definitely_ not my brother Matty, and I will not be doing brotherly things with you, so no. Honorary uncle just does _not_ cut it.”

“You didn’t want her calling me Step-Steve, either,” Steve pointed out. “She told me she wants to have something that nobody but her gets to call me. That’s why I let her get away with _makua_.”

“ _I_ will have a talk with her, and then we will see,” Danny said, moving to pass Steve in the doorway.

“ _Makua kolea_ is step-parent,” Mary said helpfully, and when Danny looked towards her again in surprise he saw she was grinning. “ _Makua hanai_ is adopted parent.”

“Thank you,” Danny said slowly, giving Mary a wry smile. “I’ll be sure to call you next time he’s talking Hawaiian and won’t tell me what the hell he said.”

“Kono would be a better choice,” Mary said easily, still grinning. “I only know enough to get into trouble.”

Steve snorted at that, adding, “Lots and lots of trouble.” Danny looked at him, surprised, and Steve added, “Mary already had a police record when Dad made us move to the mainland, and had dated more guys in the last year than I _knew_. She had just turned _fifteen_.”

Danny looked at Mary, just a little wide-eyed as he watched her grin and placidly munch Fruit Loops. She looked like a fairly sweet girl except for the boots, which was kind of scary as hell since she was going to be Grace’s aunt. “Okay, you are _never_ allowed to give Grace advice on being a teenager. Just send her to Kono, okay? I can trust Kono to keep her out of too much trouble. Surfing’s a lot better pastime for my little angel than chasing boys would be.”

“You sure Grace will still be around here then?” Mary asked quickly, surprised.

“What part of 'I’m marrying your brother' did you not get?” Danny asked, eyebrows going up. “Or not _marrying_ because we’re both men and nowhere I’d want to live has got the balls to do same-sex marriage yet, but yeah. A reasonable facsimile thereof, and he _did_ just say it was a ‘til death do us part’ thing with us, which, so not allowed to happen any time soon, but it _is_ accurate. He’s stuck with me, which means you are too.” He grinned suddenly. “Little sister.”

Mary looked suddenly worried, her eyes widening. “Oh hell no! I do _not_ need a _third_ older brother checking up on me all the time! He and Chin are bad enough!”

“Too bad, so sad,” Danny said cheerfully, turning to go again. “You’re stuck with me, like I said. Only not right now, obviously, because we aren’t going to be here in about five minutes.” He looked over his shoulder at Steve, who was watching him with a pleased little grin, and stopped. “Babe, _go get dressed_. We need to get our asses in the car five minutes ago. I am already going to have to drive down the Pali Highway like a bat out of hell or we’ll miss those reservations and _I_ will miss out on what you, Chin, and Kono all promised me is the best Italian food on the island. If that somehow happens I will be very, _very_ cranky and you will be sleeping on the couch, which will make me even _more_ cranky and probably end with both of us pissed all day tomorrow.”

Danny started down the hall, but he only made it about half way to Grace’s door before Steve blurted, “Where are you going?”

Danny stopped at the door to Grace’s room, giving Steve a level look. “To go change in my daughter’s bedroom, because I am _hungry_. If we try to strip down to our shorts in the same room, we are _never_ going to get any dinner, kind of like we didn’t get any _breakfast_ , and that is just not gonna cut it.”

Steve looked surprised for an instant and then grinned, wide and happy. “Oh.” He laughed slightly, and Danny wondered how anyone could look so smug while looking so completely _goofy_ at the same time. “Right.”

Danny couldn’t keep from grinning back at Steve as he said, “Just go get dressed, you goofball.”

Danny tried to pretend he couldn’t hear Mary laughing as he went into Grace’s room, shutting the door firmly behind him. Mary was sure to give them so much shit when they got back, but he couldn’t really make himself care about it. He’d had a little sister picking at him all his life until he left Jersey, so he was sure that he could take anything Mary could dish out.

Mary didn’t seem like she was inclined to put as much effort into messing with him as his baby sister Megan always had. Steve hadn’t complained about any pranks or shown up for work with a frightening new hairstyle that Mary had gifted him with while he slept, so Danny figured she would be easy to live with after growing up with Megan.

Danny – not to mention everyone else he knew – would _always_ have photographic proof of Megan’s evilness in the form of Danny’s senior yearbook picture. Megan had planned her attack carefully the night before pictures were scheduled to be taken, putting sleeping pills in the ice cream he had before bed like he was a freaking dog or something, and then she had shaved his hair into a mohawk while he was dead to the world. She topped it off by turning off his alarm so that when she finally woke him up he had five minutes to dress and bolt out of the house to make it to school, leaving him no time at all to do anything about his hair.

Danny’s mother still had an eight-by-ten of him on the wall in the living room, wearing a tux and looking like a complete fool with a two-inch-tall blond mohawk.

 

~*~

 

Steve sipped at his wine, smiling as he watched Danny take another slow savoring bite of the tiramisu Danny had ordered for dessert. They had been sitting at their table for over an hour, taking their time and enjoying dinner while they talked, and he knew the maitre d’ wasn’t entirely happy with them lingering but he really didn’t care. Steve had loved seeing how much Danny obviously enjoyed their meal together and he still didn’t want it to end, no matter how badly the maitre d’ wanted to put another couple at their table.

Steve put his glass down, lifting his own spoon as he murmured, “So it’s good?”

Danny looked up at him, smiling wide and pleased with his blue eyes sparkling. “It’s _better_ than good, babe. It might even be better than what I used to get at Sal’s back in Jersey.” He paused and then added with a grin, “I can’t _promise_ that, since it’s been so long since I had a real honest-to-god tiramisu, but it’s pretty outstanding.”

Steve’s smile widened. “I’m glad.” He took a small bite of what was left of his panna cotta, which he had ordered mostly because it was simple and familiar. He had been sorely tempted to get the fresh pineapple gelato instead, but he didn’t want to ruin Danny’s good mood so he had behaved himself.

“Between here and Auntie Pasto’s, I’m seeing more evenings out in our future,” Danny said with a soft laugh. “I don’t even care if I have to make reservations. I’ve been craving real Italian food for almost a year and couldn’t find anything but crappy pasta and even worse pizza.”

“You need to just drive around town more often,” Steve said, amused. “Oahu has every kind of food you could possibly think of, if you really look.”

“Philly cheese steak?” Danny asked, looking amused and curious. “And I mean the real thing, not teriyaki beef on a Hawaiian roll with a slice of cheese.”

“Most on the island swear by Ono’s Cheese Steaks here in Honolulu, but Pepper’s Place in Kailua is my favorite,” Steve said quickly, trying not to laugh. He had run afoul of the teriyaki beef rolls too, though he hadn’t ever gotten one that was called a Philly steak. “It’s about two miles from home, less if we go on foot and cut across the country club. Ono’s uses American cheese, but Pepper’s Place does the real thing with Whiz and steak on a hoagie roll, I promise.”

“You have to have the _Whiz_ ,” Danny said, laughing. “What are people here _on_ anyway? American cheese is only good for grilled cheese and to go on hamburgers or Frito pie, not a _Philly steak_.”

Steve grinned. “I know that, and you know that, but there aren’t really that many _kama’aina_ who have been to 9th Street in Philadelphia and had the real deal.”

“Pats or Geno’s?” Danny asked, looking a little surprised but pleased.

Steve grinned a little wider. “Geno’s, whiz wit, of course.”

Danny laughed. “And you say Pepper’s is the real thing?”

“It’s not Geno’s,” Steve admitted, “but it’s a hell of a lot better than the others I’ve tried on Oahu.” He paused and then added, “About as good as Tony Luke’s or even Pat’s, but not as good as Carmen’s Deli in Bellmawr. I always liked Geno’s and Carmen’s better than Pat’s or Tony’s, but Aunt Amy was just the opposite.”

“Just how much time did you spend in the Philly area?” Danny asked, looking surprised again.

“A few years,” Steve said, shrugging. “After Mom died, Dad sent me to live with my aunt that used to live there.”

“When was that?” Danny asked, obviously curious.

Steve reached for his wine. “I got packed off to Aunt Amy’s just before I turned seventeen and lived with her until I graduated.”

Steve took a sip of his wine, hoping Danny would pick up on the fact he didn’t particularly want to talk about it. Aunt Amy had been one of his favorite relatives, and she had tried hard to make him feel at home after Dad packed him up a couple of days after his mom’s funeral and sent him to her. Mary had already been sent home with their Uncle Michael and his wife the day of their mom’s funeral because Dad didn’t want her flying to LA on her own later, and it had been really rough on Steve to go in the space of barely a week from being a big brother and son to having no one but an aunt he had seen only a few times in his life.

Steve had spent most of his first month away from home in his bedroom hiding away from the world. It had seemed like he lost everything he ever loved when his mother died, but Aunt Amy had finally dragged him out to show him Philadelphia and started proving to him that living on the mainland wasn’t a fate worse than death after all. He had actually grown to like the city within the first year there, though he still missed surfing, and his friends, and the guy he was dating when he was forced to leave.

Steve had made new friends and found a new girlfriend in Philly, of course, and his senior year he even managed to afford a beat-up Jeep so he could drive to the coast when he wanted to, but he had stopped surfing. The water on the Jersey coast was salty, and he went there often to just breathe the ocean air, but the waves were nothing like home and the water was cold and dark.  He had gone back to Hawai'i to visit the first chance he got, right after he graduated, but the way his father had hounded him until he left again had hurt so much he couldn’t go back. He had gone from Oahu straight into Annapolis and never let himself look back.

Steve had visited Aunt Amy after that whenever he needed to be reminded what he was fighting for, and he was very grateful to her for the simple fact he could always count on being welcomed with open arms. She had been very proud of him and the man he made of himself, and he could always count on her to remind him he was loved and wanted, right up until he got the call to tell him she had died. She had been diagnosed with cancer about two years after he became a SEAL, he had known that, but she had told him she was doing fine so he had continued with his life like she told him to. He had been on the other side of the world chasing Victor Hesse almost a year later when Uncle Michael had called to tell him she was gone.

“Where else have you lived?” Danny asked, and Steve was grateful he wasn’t going to ask more about Aunt Amy. “As a civilian I mean.”

“Home,” Steve said, giving Danny a crooked smile. “I haven’t been a civilian since high school, Danny. I went from high school straight to Annapolis, and then I was in the Navy until Governor Jameson asked me to transfer to the reserves and start Five-0.”

“What are some of the places you’ve visited on leave, then?” Danny was smiling at Steve as he reached for his own wine. “Places you liked enough that you went back to them over and over again.”

Steve thought about it and then admitted, “Nowhere, really.” He shrugged, looking down as he toyed with his nearly empty glass, swirling his wine. “I mean, I saw a lot of the Middle East and Central America, and I took leave in Tokyo, Singapore, and Taiwan with the guys. I ended up in Amsterdam a few times, and met Cath in Bali a few years ago, but I didn’t really go to those places because _I_ wanted to.” He finished off the wine and then looked back at Danny, smiling. “Mostly wherever I was stationed was pretty much where I would stay. I had a reputation for being the guy who hardly ever bothered to go anywhere for leave unless somebody dragged me with them to wherever they were going.”

Danny chuckled softly. “Kind of like now, huh? I’ve noticed you don't really ever go out with your old friends, or even hang out with them on the beach.”

Danny didn’t mention Keoka’s invitation to a _luau_ his family that thrown that weekend, but Steve was sure that Danny was thinking about it. Keoka had made the offer while they were still on the boat Saturday, but Steve hadn’t been tempted by the idea and had put Keoka off with an excuse before Danny or Grace could say anything. Steve liked Keoka and remembered fondly when they were kids that lived and breathed surfing and football and sex in pretty much that order, but he hadn’t wanted to spend what little time he and Danny had to be with Grace in a crowd of people he didn’t really know anymore.

Steve smiled a little wider after a moment and then said simply, “I like the company I’ve been keeping.”

Danny smiled, the expression in his blue eyes going gentle and loving. “It’s been a long time since you suggested we go out for a beer instead of going back to your place, babe.”

“Our place,” Steve corrected, still smiling. “And yeah, it has.” He gazed into Danny’s eyes for a minute and then admitted quietly, “I kind of knew from the beginning that I wanted you with me forever, _ipo_. Within a couple of days, anyway. I just didn’t think you would ever feel the same way, so I was glad to take what I could get.”

Danny smiled at him for a moment before he murmured, “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I did,” Steve replied, amused. “You just didn’t get what I was trying to say.”

“For example?” Danny asked, still smiling even though he looked a little surprised.

Steve laughed softly. “How about when I told you Danno was a term of endearment, or maybe the fact I told you more than once that I chose you to be my partner, or the hotel rooms I got for you and Grace to swim with the dolphins, or the way I practically _begged_ to meet her after that until you finally gave in, or maybe the way I never corrected _anyone_ who asked how long we had been married?” He grinned. “Which started after what, a week?”

Danny chuckled. “Okay, okay, I concede the point.” He lifted one hand to run it over his hair, smiling and a little sheepish. “I was kind of in denial, I guess.”

“I noticed,” Steve agreed, amused. “The way you would call me babe sometimes when you weren’t paying attention and never seemed to have any inclination to date anyone else gave me hope it might change, though. I stopped seeing other people right after we met and decided to just give you whatever time you needed, even if it took forever.”

“Other people except for Cath and Bullfrog,” Danny said, suddenly serious. “Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t have turned Catherine down either if I was you, but Bullfrog…” He trailed off, looking at Steve a moment before he admitted, “Seeing the way you looked at him bothered me more than I wanted it to. That was when I started to notice that I didn’t really see you as just a friend anymore. I just wasn’t honest with myself about it until then.”

“Catherine and I were in Naval Intelligence together,” Steve explained, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table and wanting to make Danny understand. “We went undercover as a couple when we were about a year out of training, and that kind of thing makes you really get to know someone. She’s one of the best friends I’ve ever had until I met you, Danno, but that’s all it has ever been between Cath and me. She hasn’t really got anyone to spend her leave time with besides me most of the time, and she knows I used to be just as alone as she is, so we tried to schedule time off together when we could. We were never in love, just, I don’t know… Compatible.” He paused, trying to find a similar relationship that Danny had, and then smiled, adding, “It would be kind of like you hooking up with Kono, or maybe Chin. You love them and the sex would be great because they’re who they are, but at the end of the day you’d still just be friends.”

Danny snorted, grinning suddenly. “Chin, maybe. If I even _thought_ about touching Kono, Chin would kill me dead on the spot.”

Steve grinned. “You see what I mean though, right?”

“Yeah, I get it,” Danny agreed, looking amused “Like I said, babe, in your shoes I wouldn’t have told her to sleep somewhere else either. Cath’s just an old friend that happened to end up in your bed anytime you saw her, not what I thought she was.”

Steve tilted his head slightly, surprised and curious as he asked, “What did you think she was?”

“I kind of expected you two to get married after the last time she was here,” Danny admitted with a wry smile. “She actually stayed a week that time and hung out with _all of us_ instead of just keeping you in bed for a few days like she usually did. She seemed to be really trying to get to know us, and she was interested in what we do, too. She probably asked me a _million_ questions by the time she went back to her ship, and I though she was probably planning to transfer to the reserves and join Five-0 to be with you more.”

Steve laughed. “She spent the whole week here because she wanted to get to know _you_ , Danny. I never talk about anyone but you, Gracie, Kono, Chin, and Mary when I talk to her, pretty much in that order, and she wanted to know who it was I had fallen so hard for.” Danny looked surprised and pleased enough that Steve added, “She told me not to give up on you the day she left, but she wouldn’t say why she thought I had a chance.”

Danny looked a little sheepish. “I _might_ have told her that she’d better be good to you or I’d hunt her down.”

Steve grinned. “Seriously?”

“She was talking about how easy you are to live with and how you washed her clothes and made sure that her favorite beer was in the fridge and cooked all her favorite meals, and yeah.” Danny shrugged, looking amused. “I told her she was a lucky lady and that if she ever hurt you I’d track her to the ends of the earth if I had to just so I could beat her to death with a shovel.”

Steve laughed. “You gave her the shovel speech that we gave Ben?”

Danny ran a hand over his hair, even more sheepish than before. “Well, yeah, I might have. It seemed like the thing to do at the time.”

Steve just grinned, looking at Danny and thinking about how much he loved him until a familiar voice called, “Danno!” He turned quickly to look, grinning even wider as he saw Grace running down the aisle between tables towards them with Rachel following move slowly behind her, looking embarrassed.

 

~*~

 

“Monkey!” Danny said, laughing as he scooted his chair out from the table and held his arms open for Grace as she ran towards him.

Grace was wearing a white dress with tiny pink flowers on it and matching little white heels, and she was wearing makeup with her hair carefully styled into a cascade of curls down the back of her head that had tiny pink rosebuds tucked artfully into it. Danny had no doubt Rachel had taken her somewhere expensive and exclusive where mere mortals like a cop couldn’t get in the door. Rachel was a big fan of trying to teach Grace about culture by taking her to gallery showings and live performances that Grace always pretended to like, though she would often later tell Danny she would have rather gone to Burger King and a movie.

Grace tackled Danny and hugged him tight as he picked her up, helping her get settled sideways across his lap as she beamed at him. “Mommy and I were on the way home from our girls night out, and I told her you were here for dinner and asked if I could come say g’night to you and _makua_.”

Danny tickled her side, grinning. “Steve is not your uncle, monkey.” He pretended not to see how uncomfortable Rachel looked as she approached, though he really was very aware of her disapproval. It was Rachel's fault Grace only got to see him at most two days a week, after all, so he figured she deserved the way Grace would squeal as soon as she spotted him and then run to him like she hadn’t seen him in weeks. Grace had always been a daddy’s girl and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure she always would be, including encouraging her to do things Rachel didn’t approve of like playing softball. He knew Rachel was often embarrassed by the way he and Grace acted together, but he didn’t really give a damn, especially not when she had gone against his wishes yet again by dressing Grace up in makeup and heels.

Grace looked surprised. “ _Makua_ means almost-dad, not uncle. That’s what Siu Lin’s mom’s boyfriend told her to call him, and he should know the right word. He’s _kama’aina_ like Steve.”

Steve chuckled. “ _Makua_ means a relative of your parents’ generation, Gracie. _Makua kolea_ is step-parent.”

Grace looked over at Steve, curious. “Do you like me calling you _makua_?”

“Your dad thinks it’s too close to uncle,” Steve said, grinning at Grace. “He says he wouldn’t be kissing me if I was your uncle Matt.”

Grace giggled as Rachel said suddenly, “I would most certainly hope not.”

Danny looked at Rachel finally, taking in the pinched look around her eyes and her obvious displeasure, and he sighed. “What did I do wrong now, Rachel?”

Rachel stared at him for a moment and then said abruptly, “I still don’t appreciate being lied to, Daniel. I never did, even when you thought it was for my own good.”

“I haven’t lied to you,” Danny said quickly, frowning.

Rachel rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest, giving him that fed up, disdainful look that made him automatically want to argue with _anything_ she said. “Do you not remember loudly insisting just _Thursday_ that you were not in a relationship with Steve?”

Danny had to fight hard not to lose his temper, very aware of Grace in his lap and the fact they were in an expensive restaurant where people were sure to have recognized him and Steve, and probably Rachel as well. Making a scene couldn’t go over well, and would likely make it in the papers if it happened in such a public place. Besides the fact he had really enjoyed the food and wanted to be able to come back, there was also the fact he didn’t want Grace to have to deal with her rich friends teasing her about her dad and his partner being in the paper for such a stupid reason.

“I kissed him the first time on _Saturday_ , Rachel,” Steve said suddenly, drawing Rachel’s attention to him. Danny was grateful that Steve had stepped in, giving him a moment to get a handle on his temper as Steve went on calmly, “And I have you to thank for that, by the way. _Mahalo nui loa_.”

Rachel’s eyes widened and she let her arms fall, staring at Steve in surprise. “You… do?”

Steve smiled, looking pleased and fond. “Yes, I do. If you hadn’t given him so much trouble about our relationship, it might have been _another_ six months before he noticed we have one.”

“Hey!” Danny protested, laughing slightly as Steve looked at him, obviously amused. “I would have noticed sooner than that!”

Grace giggled and patted Danny’s chest. “It’s okay, Daddy. I would have told you if you couldn’t figure it out soon. I was getting tired of waiting for you to kiss him.”

“ _Mahalo_ ,” Danny said with a grin, enjoying the happiness in Grace’s sparkling brown eyes.

Grace grinned impishly. “ _A‘ole pilikia_.”

“What are you celebrating?” Rachel asked suddenly, making them all look at her in surprise. She gestured vaguely to Danny’s suit and then added, “I know you only drag out the suit and expensive restaurant for special occasions, Daniel.”

“We’re getting married,” Danny said with a grin, mostly because he wanted to see Rachel’s reaction to the reaction he knew that was going to get from Grace.

Grace squealed happily and hugged Danny’s neck, then squirmed out of his lap and ran around the table to tackle Steve, who laughed and hugged her tightly as she said happily, “Now we get to keep you!”

Steve laughed and kissed Grace’s cheek. “Danno needs us both taking care of him, _kolohe_. He’d still be eating frozen dinners and Hamburger Helper without us to cook for him.”

Grace pulled back, beaming at Steve. “The canned tuna ones were the worst.”

Steve grinned. “I know. I let him share some leftovers with me after work one day when I was _really_ hungry.”

Grace giggled, leaning happily against Steve’s side with her arms around him. “ _Just_ once.”

“Exactly,” Steve agreed, grinning even wider. “I learned my lesson in the first two bites and called to order Chinese.”

Grace giggled. “Lucky you. I always had to clean my plate if I wanted dessert.”

“And he always has something sweet squirreled away somewhere,” Steve agreed, laughing at the way Grace nodded, giggling.

“You two aren’t funny,” Danny said, trying not to laugh at them and make a liar out of himself. He loved seeing Steve and Grace together even when they were ganging up on him. He still couldn’t quite get over how well they got along, and he loved it even though he knew it wasn’t exactly a good thing as far as him staying in charge of the situation was concerned. Between the two of them they could probably talk him into anything, which was more than a little scary if he let himself think about it very much.

“Daniel, may I speak to you for a moment?” Rachel asked suddenly, distracting Danny and making him look over at her again. She was frowning as she glanced at Steve and Grace and then back at Danny, adding pointedly, “ _Privately_.”

“Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of Steve,” Danny said firmly. “He’s part of this family too, Rachel.”

Rachel pursed her lips, just staring at Danny for a moment before she suddenly spoke, her tone clipped and annoyed. “Rushing into _marriage_ is not a mistake I thought you would ever repeat, Daniel.”

Danny frowned. “I’ve spent pretty much every waking minute with Steve since right after I met him, unless I was with Grace, and for the last few months he’s been with us most of the time even when I _did_ have her. I know him a lot better than I knew you when we had been married for a _year_ , Rachel, and he knows me at least as well. We’ve seen each other at our best and our worst, and we both know exactly what we have to look forward to from each other.” He snorted and then added pointedly, “ _Complete strangers_ have been asking us how long we’ve been married since a few days after we _met_ , and even our best friends have been teasing us about acting like we’re married for months, so I think it’s about time we finally made it official.”

“Past time,” Steve added, and he was smiling softly when Danny looked across the table at him. “It’s what I’ve wanted for a long time, and not just so you’ll have legal right to make decisions for me if I get hurt.”

Danny smiled at Steve. “I know. I’m glad you waited for me, babe.”

“You’re worth it,” Steve said, smiling wider as Grace giggled and laid her head on his shoulder. Steve rested his cheek against the top of Grace’s head for a moment, giving her a squeeze with the arm he still had around her as he added, “I’d wait forever if I had to for you and Gracie, _ipo_.”

Danny just watched Steve and Grace with a soft smile for a moment before he murmured, “You won’t have to wait anymore.”

“I wasn’t aware you had spent so much time with him _before_ you moved in with him, Daniel.” Danny looked up at Rachel and saw she was looking a little surprised but suddenly thoughtful as she glanced at Steve and Grace and then looked back at Danny. “I thought you just worked together until recently.”

“We did work together, but we spent our time off together too, most of the time,” Danny said calmly, meeting Rachel’s gaze and hoping she would stop reacting and really listen to him for a change. “Other than Grace I was _alone_ here until Steve barged into my life, Rachel, but I haven’t been since then. He’s been a lot more than my best friend for a long time now, I just hadn’t done anything about it until you started in on me and made me really _think_ about where our relationship was headed. Then Kono and Chin were teasing us and said something about how we should just get married and get it over with, and I realized that we really _should_.”

“And you’re very, very sure,” Rachel said quietly, searching his eyes for something. “You’re not going to wake up the day before the ceremony and call Matty in a panic because you think you’re making a mistake.”

Danny sighed, wishing not for the first time that he hadn’t ever told her that his younger brother Matty had practically shamed him into marrying her. He had thrown it in her face during a fight that got particularly nasty right after one of Danny’s friends on the force had been shot and killed. Danny had wanted nothing more than to drink enough that he could sleep that night, but she just would not leave him alone to save his life. He had tried begging, and then tried yelling, but she just kept on making cruel digs at him and his career and all the reasons she never should have married him until something inside him had snapped. He had been trying to hurt her enough she would just stop screaming at him and leave him alone when he told her that he knew marrying her was a mistake from the start, and it had worked. She had fled to their bedroom to cry herself to sleep without him, but he had still regretted it as soon as she was gone. She had apologized the next morning over coffee, telling him that she was so cruel because she was terrified that he would be next and leave her baby without a father, and that was how Danny had found out she was pregnant. She had later admitted she had known for over a month.

“No, Rachel, I won’t,” Danny quietly, meeting Rachel’s gaze without flinching. “Not this time. Steve and I can’t _really_ get married because it’s not legal in Hawai'i yet, but we _will_ be doing the paperwork for the Hawaiian version of a civil union as soon as I find out how. Besides the next-of-kin thing, which is kind of important to us both with the job we have and the way we live, there’s the fact that we _love each other_ and have for a long time now. This _isn’t_ sudden or unexpected by anyone who really knows us and I have absolutely no doubts that this is what is best not just for me and Steve, but for Grace, too. He’s my partner in _every_ way. I love him, and Gracie loves him, and I know he loves us both, so you’re just going to have to accept that he’s part of the family.”

Rachel looked into his eyes for a few more moments and then finally smiled slightly. “Does he know you never remember to put the seat down when you have to make a trip to the bathroom at four in the morning?”

Danny let out a surprised little laugh. “He’s a _guy_ , Rachel. He probably doesn’t remember to drop the seat when he’s half asleep either.”

Steve snorted. “I do too.” Danny looked at him in surprise as Steve smiled and added, “ _And_ the lid, but I don’t flush unless it needs it.”

Grace giggled at that and Steve looked at her as she told him, “Daddy’s the same way. He says there’s no reason to waste water unless it's number two.”

Rachel made a low disgusted noise as Steve grinned at Grace and said cheerfully, “And he’s right, wasting water is always a bad thing.”

Rachel was still looking at Steve and Grace as she asked suddenly, “What do you think of your father and Steve getting married, Grace? Honestly, now, not what you think they want to hear.”

“I think they need each other, Mommy,” Grace said promptly, looking up at Rachel. “Daddy was _really_ unhappy after you and Step-Stan made us move here because he missed his old friends even more than I did. He used to be alone _all the time_ when I wasn’t allowed to be with him, but when Steve picked Daddy as his partner he made sure that didn’t happen anymore. Daddy laughs all the time now, even when he’s trying to be mad at Steve, and Steve even likes it when Daddy _yells_ at him because he loves Daddy more than anything. We've all got an _ohana_ now with Daddy and Steve and me and Aunt Kono and Uncle Chin and Aunt Mary and Uncle Kamekona, and everyone’s happy.”

“ _Ohana_?” Rachel repeated, looking at Grace with an unreadable expression.

“’ _Ohana means family_ ,’” Grace recited immediately, and Danny smiled as she went on. “’ _Family means nobody gets left behind, or forgotten_.’” Rachel looked surprised, and Grace’s eyes widened a bit. “Don’t you remember ‘ _Lilo and Stitch’_ , Mommy? Stitch was all alone too and didn’t have a family of his own, so he had to find the right people to love him, just like Steve had to do after his dad died. Daddy says Steve needs us both in his _ohana_ to remind him that there’s more to life than chasing bad guys, so he’ll relax and play more instead of working all the time like he did before he met Daddy.”

Steve smiled slightly as he quoted, “’ _This is my family. I found it, all on my own. It’s little, and broken, but still good.'”_ He kissed Grace’s cheek and then looked over at Danny again as he finished softly, _“’Yeah, still good_.’”

Danny just stared at Steve, surprised he had been paying such close attention to the movie Saturday night. They had started kissing right after Stitch had made his declaration about his family, if Danny remembered right. He had only been half listening to the movie, but he was sure that he had heard Lilo yelling about her dog license when Steve had turned to him and said it had been a good day. Knowing that Steve had really watched the movie and took the message to heart made some of what he had said later that evening make a little more sense, and Danny wondered how he could have missed it then.

Grace hugged Steve, drawing Steve’s gaze back to her as she gave Steve a sweet smile and said, “Before I got to meet you, Daddy told me that you remind him of Stitch. He said you’re fire-proof and bullet-proof and too smart for your own good, and that you swim like a dolphin and see in the dark like a cat, too, and explosions and trouble follow you around, but you’re still the best partner he ever had and you’ll always keep him safe for me even when he wants to shoot you.” She grinned suddenly. “He also said that no matter how big and tough you look or how scary you can be when there’s a bad guy around, you’re really a fluffy teddy bear inside just like Stitch is, and that I should just give you a chance and you’d prove it.”

Steve let out a soft little surprised laugh, meeting Danny’s gaze again. “A fluffy teddy bear?”

“Babe, you _were_ just quoting a _cartoon_ ,” Danny pointed out, still surprised but smiling because for the first time in his life he was sure that he had gotten it right. He had known that Steve was right for _him_ , sure, but he realized finally that Grace loved Steve almost as much as he did. Steve was someone she could admire and love and trust completely, and it made him feel warm all over to realize that she had recognized that even before he did. “You and I both know you’re as soft-hearted as Grace when you want to be.”

“Of _course_ I paid attention. It’s Grace’s favorite movie, one she loves enough to name our puppy after,” Steve pointed out, smiling. “And you’re pretty soft-hearted yourself, Danno.”

Danny grinned, pleased. “And I’m man enough to own up to it right out in front of God and everybody instead of trying to deny it.”

Steve laughed. “I wasn’t denying it, I was just surprised you told _Grace_ about it.”

“I told you a long time ago, we commiserate,” Danny said quickly, grinning wider. “She tells me about what happened at school, and I tell her about what new and utterly insane way you’re discovered to try and make me as crazy as you are.”

Grace giggled and looked at Steve again. “It’s _always_ you he talks about.”

Steve looked at Grace, pleased and smirking. “Still?”

“Ever since you pointed your gun at him,” Grace agreed, giggling again. “He _says_ you drive him crazy, but I think he likes it and just doesn’t want to admit it ‘cause you might get worse if he encourages you.”

Rachel laughed. “Was _that_ our problem, Daniel?” Danny looked up at Rachel, amused as she added, “We fought constantly, but I never tried to _shoot_ you.”

“Steve wasn’t going to shoot me,” Danny protested, amused. He didn’t bother to point out that he didn’t tell Grace about all the many myriad ways he almost got himself killed because of Steve. Rachel didn’t need to know about all of that any more than Grace did. “We were both pretty jumpy the day we met and we were pointing our guns at each other before we even said hello, but we got past it fast.”

“Daddy’s always threatening to shoot Steve,” Grace added with another giggle, “but don’t worry, Mommy. Daddy doesn’t really mean it.”

“No, sometimes I mean it,” Danny disagreed, grinning as he looked at Steve, who was obviously very amused but trying not to laugh. “I just don’t do it because I want him in one piece a lot more than I want to teach him a lesson.”

“You’ve taught me lots of lessons, Danno,” Steve said teasingly. “I actually know how to Mirandize someone now.”

“Not that you ever do,” Danny said with a laugh. “Kind of like waiting for backup, or doing your own paperwork.”

“You’re all the backup I need,” Steve said simply, smirking. “And everyone but you has been _glad_ I stopped doing paperwork. Now the higher ups get your version and Pat doesn’t have to hide my notes on the things that you talked me out of trying.”

Danny’s eyes widened. “Oh my god! You were telling the _truth_?!”

Steve smirked. “Until she asked me to stop, yeah.”

“Leave the paperwork alone,” Danny said firmly, pretending not to hear Grace giggling at them. “Please. I don’t want you getting fired because you’re an insanely effective super-SEAL masquerading as a cop. It would ruin my day. Really.”

“Anything for you, _ipo_ ,” Steve agreed easily, looking pleased with himself.

“That said, I, for one, would feel _much better_ if you both waited for backup a little more often,” Rachel said suddenly, making them all look at her again. “I see stories of your exploits on the news or in the papers rather often, and I’ve noticed a decided lack of assistance from the local authorities.”

“I know exactly what Danny can handle,” Steve said with a shrug as he looked up at Rachel. “We work really well together even when he’s cussing me out the whole time because he thinks I’m doing something crazy, and I trust him to watch my back just like I watch his. He’s well trained, smart, and observant enough to be an asset in a fight, and he’s an excellent shot who saves my life as often as I save his. Between the two of us I know I can keep him safe and that we can keep our team safe, but I also know that just two of us _can’t_ protect twenty cops that may or may not be fresh out of the academy and are probably _not_ going to be experienced enough to step into a firefight without getting themselves shot. Danny and I are both safer _without_ the police making a situation worse, except for certain situations, and when they really _can_ help I do call the swat team in.” He looked at Danny then. “Don’t I?”

Danny just looked at Steve a moment before he asked, “Babe, how many times have I asked you why you have such an aversion to waiting for backup?”

“A lot,” Steve admitted, looking just a little sheepish.

“Then why did it take _Rachel_ asking for me to finally get an answer?” Danny asked.

“Because until a few days ago, I was sure that you’d figure out how I feel about you if I tried to explain, and I didn’t think you really wanted to know that,” Steve said quietly with a crooked smile. “Kono figured it out months ago when I said something about not liking you being where I couldn’t protect you one day while you and Chin were out of the office running down leads. It was so obvious to her how I feel that I was sure you’d know too if I ever told you the truth, so I just didn’t answer whenever you asked about why I always insisted on going in first and didn’t trust anyone but Chin or Kono to watch your back for me.”

“I’m _glad_ you love Daddy so much,” Grace spoke up, stretching up to kiss Steve’s cheek. “He gets hurt sometimes, but I know he’s safer than he used to be with you taking care of him, and he’s lots happier now.” She grinned. “Even when he’s yelling.”

Steve gave Grace a soft, loving smile as he murmured, “ _Mahalo_ , Gracie.”

“Tell your father and Steve good night, Grace,” Rachel said suddenly, making Danny look up at her in surprise. “It’s almost bedtime.”

Danny looked at his watch and then looked at Steve and Grace again, surprised to see it was after eight-thirty. Their reservations at Santiago’s had been for seven and they had been only a few minutes late, so they had been there for an hour and a half. “We should be going anyway, we’re going by the office for a little while before we head home.”

“This late?” Rachel asked, obviously shocked.

Danny sighed and stood, pushing his chair in and then looking at Rachel as he said patiently, “I’ve told you before, Rachel, we’re never off duty when we have a case. Not really.”

“Unless Grace is with us,” Steve corrected. “If anything happens when we’ve got Grace, the Governor knows to go to Chin and Kono with it and let them start the investigation. We don't get called in unless there are lives in imminent danger.”

Danny looked at Steve in surprise. “And how does she know when Grace is with us?”

“I keep her posted,” Steve said, smiling as he stood up. “We email back and forth pretty much every day, so she always knows what’s going on with us.”

“You talk shop with the Governor _every day_?” Danny asked, still trying to wrap his mind around the possibility Governor Jameson knew just exactly how Steve ran his team.

Danny had always kind of expected her to come down on them like a ton of bricks one of these days for any of a million things. Steve had a habit of ignoring a suspect’s rights and using interrogation techniques that would make Guantanamo proud, he kept beer in his office, and a few times a month Steve would treat the team to a ‘business lunch’ that consisted of fire-grilled meat cooked by Chin and Steve on some secluded beach where the waves were too good for Kono to pass up. Learning that the Governor already knew about at least some of that was surprising to Danny, and the more he thought about it, a little scary.

“No, mostly we talk about regular stuff like the surf report and what there is going on around the island that might be fun if either of us had time to play tourist like half the rest of the world does,” Steve said, amused. “Sometimes we talk about you and Grace, or about Mary, or Kono and Chin, or the Governor’s family.” He shrugged one shoulder, smiling. “Whatever is on our minds at the time.”

“You are _pen pals_ with the most influential politician in the state,” Danny half-asked, starting to see the absurdity of it all.

Steve rolled his eyes, looking like he was trying not to laugh. “If you want to call it that. She and my dad were close, and she says I remind her of him.” He grinned suddenly. “Plus she likes the beer fridge in my office and the fact it’s always got at least a few York peppermint patties and a six of Longboard in it, even when none of us are around. She sneaks in to relax and have a snack sometimes when she’s working late.”

Danny laughed. “Of course she does. No wonder we get away with so much. You and the _Governor_ are BFFs.” Grace giggled at that and Danny looked at her, grinning as he offered her his hand. “C’mon, monkey. Out to the car, then we have to say g’night, okay?”

Grace moved quickly to grab Danny’s hand and then tugged him around the table so she could grab Steve’s hand too as she said happily, “You’ll have to give Lilo a kiss good night for me. I bet she’s awfully lonely at home all alone.”

“That’s why she’s not at home,” Danny said, smiling down at Grace as they walked towards the door, amused at the way Steve had to walk along behind Grace, holding one hand over her shoulder so she could keep holding his hand too. “We had her in the car with us part of the day, and then left her at the office with the nice young officer who was doing a few things for me on my computer. By the time he went home, I’m sure Kono and Chin were at the office. They went back tonight to eat dinner there while they looked something up on the computers, and Kono wouldn’t leave our puppy all alone so I’m sure they’re still there.”

Grace beamed. “I’m glad, Lilo shouldn’t be alone.”

“I agree,” Steve said, sounding amused. “That’s why I was thinking we should—“

“Babe, I swear, if you say what I think you’re gonna say, I might shoot you yet tonight,” Danny said quickly, looking over at Steve. “I’d have to borrow your gun to do it because mine is locked in the trunk, but that won’t slow me down for long.”

“As I was saying,” Steve said pointedly, smirking at Danny and then looking down at Grace. “I think we should bring her to work every day. If none of us are around, there’s usually _someone_ , and when there won’t be, at least Lilo won’t be alone for as long as we’re away from the house most of the time.”

“I was about to ask how you know we can get away with keeping _our dog_ in Five-0 Headquarters,” Danny said wryly, “but then I remembered your best friend besides me, Kono, and Chin is _the_ _Governor_ and I realize how stupid it is to even wonder.”

Grace giggled at that as Rachel said dryly, “It does put many things into surprisingly sharp perspective.”

Danny opened Santiago’s front door as he looked over his shoulder at Rachel, who was looking at Steve with what looked to Danny like grudging respect while Steve said easily, “Like I told you a long time ago, Rachel, Danny has friends in high places.” He smirked slightly. “And not just the Governor. I made a lot of friends in the service, and I won’t hesitate to call them if I think they can help Danny with something.”

“Mmm,” Rachel agreed, looking just a bit amused as she pointed towards her black BMW so they would all start moving again. “I had forgotten talking to ‘Lieutenant Commander McGarrett’ until after I left your office the other day, but now I seem to remember you calling me once or twice. You sound very different on the phone.” Her lips twitched. “Much more professional, actually, and rather more impressive.”

Steve grinned. “I can do the cold hard officer act when I need to, and I knew you wouldn’t listen to me if I didn’t pull every bit of rank I’ve got.”

“And then next time when I wouldn’t accept your call, you asked the Governor to intercede,” Rachel said, giving Steve a slight smile. “I’m … glad to know Daniel has someone like you taking care of him, even if you sometimes feel the need to protect him from _me_.”

Steve smiled at Rachel as the four of them stopped behind her car. “Thank you. I’ll always do whatever I have to do to keep him safe and happy.”

“Steve, why did Daddy need protected from Mommy?” Grace asked suddenly, looking worriedly up at Steve, and Danny had to work at it to hide a flash of panic. He and Rachel had always tried very hard to keep the custody battle from Grace and he really didn’t want his little girl to start worrying about her mother possibly not letting Danny see her anymore. Rachel had admitted to Danny just two weeks earlier that she had finally realized it would destroy Danny _and_ Grace if Rachel ever took their time together away from them completely, but she still begrudged him every minute that Grace was away from her. 

“You know how they are, _kolohe_. Your mom and Danno fight if they talk for more than five minutes,” Steve said easily, grinning at Grace. “Sometimes they say things they don’t really mean, things that hurt each other, and then they need someone else to point out how wrong they were and get them to play nice again. I can always talk some sense into Danno myself, but when your mom won’t listen to me, I call Governor Jameson in to talk to her.”

Grace giggled, her worry disappearing. “Like the teachers at school do when kids fight, making them sit down and talk about it nicely unless they want to go to the principal?”

Danny just stared at Steve, amazed and feeling lucky that he had fallen in love with someone who could so easily and so completely explain such a touchy situation to Grace. With just a few words, Steve had made the whole situation something Grace related to and understood, making Danny wonder suddenly how he could have ever thought Steve was bad with kids. Steve had not only given Grace a good explanation of Steve’s place in the arrangement, but had also laid the foundation to keep Grace from worrying whenever Steve had to step in, or even if he had to drag the Governor into it again.

“Exactly like that,” Steve agreed, grinning at Grace still. “I’ve decided it’s my job to step in when they get a little out of hand and tell them both to play and be nice or I’ll make them stand in the corner.”

Grace giggled happily as Rachel let out a little huff and muttered, “You bloody well will _not_.”

Steve looked at Rachel, grinning just a little wider. “If you behave yourself, we won’t ever need to find out, now will we?”

Danny hoped that Rachel had learned her lesson last time, of course, but he was pretty sure that Steve would have to make good on his threat sooner or later. Danny would never really trust her to stop trying to take Grace from him, not after the way she had tried to move half way around the world without even telling him. He wouldn’t even have gotten to say goodbye to his baby girl if Grace hadn’t thrown a screaming fit in the airport and insisted so loudly on getting to tell her daddy goodbye that airport security got involved. Seeing his little girl sobbing when he got to that private waiting room at JFK had been like a punch to the gut, but finding out she was being forced to leave him and everyone she had ever known had been the last straw that made Danny truly hate Rachel for a long time. The weeks it took him to sell almost everything he owned so he could afford to do follow them had been one of the worst stretches in his life up to that point, and then when his Uncle Tony had finally managed to arrange his transfer to the Honolulu PD, Danny’s life had only gotten worse.

Rachel stared at Steve for a few moments and then pursed her lips and said, “Tell your father and Steve good night, Grace. Stan will be worried about us.”

“Step-Stan was so busy watching _tennis_ he probably didn’t notice we _left_ yet,” Grace muttered, earning a sharp look from Rachel that made Grace sigh as Danny tried to hide a sudden grin. He always told Rachel that he and Grace talked about school, but really about half the time Grace complained to him about Step-Stan, who was pretty and rich, sure, but had all the personality of a rock. “Can I have a hug good night, please?” Grace asked, turning to Steve and looking up at him hopefully.

Steve knelt easily and opened his arms to Grace, giving her a wide smile. “Always, _kolohe_.” Grace moved to hug him tightly around the neck and Steve hugged her back, then kissed her cheek and murmured, “ _Aloha au ia ‘oe_ , Gracie.”

Grace beamed and kissed Steve’s cheek soundly, then let go of him and stepped back. “ _Aloha au ia ‘oe_ , Steve. Give Lilo a hug and take good care of Danno for me.”

“I will,” Steve agreed, smiling at Grace as he stood up straight again. “They’re both going to be really happy to see you next time your mom lets you come over.”

“I hope it’s soon,” Grace said, beaming up at Steve a moment more and then turning to Danny, who knelt to hug her tight despite the way it made his knee hurt. “Love you, Danno.”

“Danno loves you too, Monkey,” Danny said quietly, kissing Grace’s cheek. “You be good for your mother and Step-Stan, alright?”

“I will, I promise,” Grace agreed, kissing his cheek and giving him another squeeze before she let him go and gave him a sudden impish smile. “You be good, too.”

Danny laughed as he stood up again, surprise helping him hide the wince as he straightened his leg again. He really shouldn’t have tried kneeling in Steve’s chair out on the beach Saturday night, and kneeling on asphalt to hug his little girl was an even worse idea. His knee hadn’t bothered him very much that day, but kneeling again made it throb in a way that made him hope he still had some pain pills in the car. “Me? I’m always good!”

“Unless you’re fighting with Mommy,” Grace said quickly, amused.

“I will try very hard not to argue with your mother,” Danny said, amused and folding his pinky and thumb against his palm. “Scout’s honor.”

“Danny, you told me you were never a boy scout,” Steve pointed out with a laugh. “Something about it being too lame for a city boy like you.”

“Babe, shut up,” Danny said with another laugh. “Right now.”

Grace giggled and hugged Danny around the waist. “Night Daddy.” She moved to Steve and did the same thing, adding, “G’night Steve.” She walked to where Rachel was waiting by the BMW, waving to them before she climbed in Rachel’s open door and slid across to the passenger side.

“Good night to you both,” Rachel said quietly, pausing before she added, “And congratulations.”

“Thank you, Rachel,” Steve said, smiling as he moved to drape one arm around Danny’s shoulders. “Good night, and drive safely.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Danny agreed, automatically leaning against Steve’s side as he slid his arm around Steve’s waist, completely unsurprised to feel Steve’s gun clipped into the back of Steve’s pants. He was sure Steve’s badge was on him somewhere too, along with at least one knife. Steve seemed to feel naked when he wasn’t armed and dangerous, especially if he was anywhere public. The only time Steve’s gun and knives weren’t on him was during his morning swim, and Danny wasn’t completely sure Steve was unarmed even then. “And thanks for letting Grace stop to say good night.”

Rachel just looked at them for a moment and then glanced at Grace and moved away from the car to walk the short distance to where Danny and Steve were waiting behind the BMW. She stopped right in front of them and then said very quietly, “I asked her tonight what kind of pony she wants for her birthday, and she told me that instead of a pony, all she wants is to be allowed to see more of you both.” Danny felt a surge of love for his little girl that was so strong it left him speechless as Rachel looked up at Steve, smiling wryly. “And the new puppy that her hero rescued for her, after he took her swimming with _wild dolphins_ and made one of her dreams come true.” Steve just smiled as Rachel looked back at Danny and went on without a pause. “And, since I _am_ rather busy sometimes, I thought perhaps you would like to pick her up from school on Friday. You could keep her until her tennis lesson with Stan on Saturday afternoon.”

Danny just stared at Rachel, sure he couldn’t possibly have heard her say what he thought she said. It took him a moment to find words again before he said slowly, “It’s not my weekend.” He swallowed hard. “You _never_ let me have her when it’s not my weekend, Rach. Not unless I _beg_.”

Rachel sighed, and Danny was surprised to see something that looked like regret in her eyes. “Keiko is leaving after her last class on Thursday to stay on Kauai for the weekend with family because her sister's having a baby shower, and I will be too busy Friday and Saturday with a friend’s wedding to pick Grace up myself. The maid would be there to keep an eye on her, of course, but that’s simply not the same as being with family. Stan has cleared Saturday afternoon to spend with Grace, and I have cleared Sunday to be with her, but she would be left to her own devices much of the day on Saturday, were she to stay home. Since she has asked if she could give up the pony I _know_ she desperately wants in order to be with you more often, I’m inclined to let her have her way on this.”

“We’d be _glad_ to pick up Grace,” Steve said, smiling at Rachel.

“Yeah, of course,” Danny agreed finally, nodding even though he was still shocked that Rachel was making the offer. “Anytime, as long as we can get free.”

“We can _always_ make time for Grace, _ipo_ ,” Steve murmured, giving Danny a squeeze. “If we’re in the middle of a case she might need to stay with Mare for an hour or two sometimes, but she can handle that.” He paused slightly and then went on, explaining to Rachel, “Mary’s my little sister, and she’s really good with Grace.”

Rachel looked at Steve for a moment and then nodded. “She’s mentioned Mary, though I had gotten the feeling they don’t spend a lot of time together.”

“Mary doesn’t stay with us very often now, she has her own place near where she works, in Waialua,” Steve explained. “When Mary’s busy, Grace can just do her homework or watch a movie on Danny’s computer at work, or even stay with Kamekona at his shave ice stand if she wants. Grace likes him and I bet she’d have fun helping with the stand like Kamekona’s niece does. We’ll make sure she’s with family though, I promise.”

“I know she’ll be happy and safe with anyone either of you chooses to watch over her,” Rachel agreed. “Even in the office or with Mary or Kamekona.”

“Thank you,” Danny said quietly, making Rachel meet his gaze again. “I know how rough it is for you to admit she wants to be with me.”

“She loves her father,” Rachel said with an elegant little shrug, looking away. “I recall when I felt the same way, so I understand her begging to see you instead of riding home with the driver to spend the afternoon essentially alone while I’m busy.” She looked back at Danny. “It’s not every day, but often enough that I’m beginning to think that perhaps she _could_ spent the afternoon with you a few days a week. She has often asked me to allow that, but I’ve been hesitant because I know you work even later than I do most nights.”

“We’ve always got time for Gracie,” Steve repeated, making Rachel and Danny both look at him again. Steve smiled at Rachel, adding gently, “Call Danny or even me when something comes up, Rachel. She doesn’t _ever_ have to feel like she's alone, even if we’re working a case. There’s _always_ someone she knows and trusts that will be glad to pick her up and spend the afternoon with her when you can’t.”

Danny looked back at Rachel, watching her just look at Steve for a few moments before she smiled. “I will, when she would be alone.” She looked at Danny again, adding, “Good night to you both.”

“Good night,” Steve repeated quietly, sounding pleased.

“Good night,” Danny echoed, smiling. “And thanks, Rach. This means a lot to me, and to Steve.”

“I know,” Rachel agreed, smiling wider. “Consider it your wedding present.” She didn’t give them a chance to stay anything else, turning away to walk quickly to the BMW and then gracefully sliding into the driver’s seat and closing the door.

Steve guided Danny over out of the way to let Rachel back out of her parking place, and then they both waved to Grace as they watched Rachel drive away. They stood there in the darkened parking lot watching until the BMW’s taillights were out of sight, and then Steve gave Danny’s shoulders a squeeze and murmured, “C’mon, Kono and Chin are waiting for us.”

Danny looked up at Steve. “Tell me I didn’t just hallucinate that.”

Steve smiled, his eyes dark and shining in the moonlight. “You didn’t imagine it, _ipo_.”

Danny just smiled and gazed up into Steve’s eyes for a minute, enjoying the gentle, loving expression in them that he had so seldom gotten to see until recently, and then he was swaying closer. He reached up to pull Steve down into a kiss that Steve returned with a low hum as his hands settled on Danny’s hips to pull him closer while they kissed, and Danny’s lingering tension melted away as he let himself get lost in the way Steve made him feel. He was soon completely relaxed again and wondering idly when Steve had unbuttoned his jacket as Steve’s hands slowly stroked his back, the thin material of his dress shirt doing nothing to detract from the feel of Steve’s strong hands on his body under his suit jacket. Danny purred soft and low into the kiss, sucking at Steve’s tongue gently, and Steve let out another quiet little pleased noise that made Danny smile against his lips.

The low rumble of a slowly approaching car barely registered to Danny until he realized it had stopped very close to them, and then Steve suddenly pulled away to turn and look at the little Mini Cooper convertible that was idling a few feet away. The amused woman behind the wheel of the car was watching them with enough interest that Danny felt his face heating up a bit. She was rather pretty and blonde, probably ten years older than either of them, and seemed to be enjoying the show as she waited for them to move.

Danny realized they were right in the middle of the parking lot and let out a little bit of a laugh, letting go of Steve and stepping back as he ran one hand through his hair with a sheepish grin. Steve grabbed his other arm, pulling Danny to one side so the woman could drive past them as he said, “Sorry, we got distracted.”

“I could see that,” the blonde called cheerfully, still looking amused as she let the car roll forward to stop next to them. “I’m a bit sorry you stopped, Commander. I was enjoying that almost as much as you and Detective Williams were.”

Danny looked at Steve in surprise, but Steve looked as confused as he felt so he turned back at the blonde, asking, “Do we know you?”

The blonde smiled, reaching out over the car door to offer her left hand to Danny. “Jacqueline Velasco. I’m not surprised you don’t remember me. I attempted to do an interview of you both after a you put an end to a particularly nasty serial killer, but it only lasted for about three seconds.”

Danny reached out to shake Jacqueline’s hand, and then he stepped back, still trying to remember her interviewing them.

Steve laughed and shook her hand too, saying, “I remember you now. You wanted to talk about the cruise ship guy.” He looked at Danny, adding, “The one that jumped off the cliff.”

Danny blinked. “We did an interview after that?” He let out a little laugh. “Why do I _not_ remember doing an interview after that?”

Steve grinned at Danny. “Because we didn’t. That’s probably why she said it lasted about three seconds. We were on the way into headquarters afterwards to check in with Chin and Kono before we called it a night, and she was waiting in the lobby, remember?”

Danny thought about it for a moment and then grinned as he finally recalled that evening. It was nearly ten by the time they got back to the office from their little island hopping trip, and neither of them had been inclined to let a reporter grill them about the day. As he recalled, he had done a little yelling when she stuck the microphone in his face, and Steve had to drag him away while he was still ranting about reporters being vultures. “And you still like us?”

Jacqueline laughed. “I understand being too tired to want to see someone lurking around waiting to pick your brain so late at night. I was just doing my job.” She reached into her business suit, pulling out a card to offer it to Steve as she added with a smile, “If you ever _do_ want to give an interview, Commander, give me a call. I can meet you anywhere on the island within an hour. Anything the head of Five-0 wants in the paper is news.”

Steve accepted the card, looking amused as he tucked it into one of the inner pockets of his jacket. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Jacqueline smiled and moved her hands back to the steering wheel of her little Mini Cooper. “Thank you, Commander.” She nodded to Danny, still smiling as she added, “Detective Williams. Enjoy your evening.” She didn’t wait for them to say anything else, pulling away to drive towards an open parking spot not far from Santiago’s front door.

Danny looked at Steve, who seemed to feel his gaze and looked at him after only a moment, looking amused. “I’d be surprised she didn’t comment on us kissing,” Steve said, “but then I remember that the only ones _surprised_ we’ve finally ended up together are us and Rachel.”

Danny laughed and started towards the Camaro, digging into his pocket for his keys as he said wryly, “Me more than you, babe.”

Steve chuckled, walking along beside Danny as he pointed out, “I was pretty surprised by it at first too, especially when I started _enjoying_ the way you yell at me all the time.”

Danny looked at Steve, laughing again. “Tell me you’re kidding.”

Steve gave him a sheepish little grin. “I’d be lying. It’s usually fun to watch you rant and rave over something, even if it’s at me.”

Danny snorted, thinking about that only a moment before he said, “Well, at least you won’t ever leave me because of my temper.”

“Not a chance in hell,” Steve agreed cheerfully. “I’m more likely to piss you off just for the fun of watching you yell.”

“I _knew_ you’ve been making me mad on purpose!” Danny said, giving Steve a shove while Steve just laughed at him.

 

~*~

 

Steve was sprawled in his usual chair near the computer table, one elbow propped on the arm of his chair as he hid a smirk behind his hand and watched Danny talk.

Danny was sitting a few feet from Steve with his feet up on the end of the table, one hand waving around while the other was absently petting Lilo, who was in his lap. Lilo had yapped happily when she saw Danny and Steve walk into headquarters and tried to run to them even with her sore paw, and Danny had scooped her up immediately to cuddle her and talk to her like she was going to answer him. Danny might complain about Lilo waking him up before five in the morning, and he had teased Steve about getting attached to her so quickly, but it was obvious that Danny was pretty attached himself.

Lilo loved Danny and was happily soaking up the attention he was giving her. The pup was so happy, in fact, she hadn't even seemed to notice the way Danny and Kono argued good-naturedly about her new pineapple-themed Hawaiian shirt. Kono had bought it because it rained while she was walking Lilo and she wanted something dry for the pup to wear, or at least that was her story. Danny had loudly demanded why Kono had to go there, but when Kono pressed him for an answer he couldn’t deny that Hawai'i was growing on him and that Grace would love the colorful shirt. Kono had teased Danny that he would be wearing Hawaiian shirts in no time, and it had gone downhill quickly from there until Chin loudly changed the subject.

Once Kono and Danny had settled down, Chin had briefed Steve and Danny on where the investigation into that morning’s triple murder was at the moment. Chin had successfully tracked Gail down to a cousin’s place in the middle of nowhere west of Kahuku while Danny and Steve were at dinner, and he wanted Danny and Steve’s opinion on whether or not he should go after the girl that night. Kono had called Gail’s phone earlier that evening and talked to her, pretending to be calling because a guy at the beach said Gail wanted surfing lessons. (“It worked, didn’t it?” Kono had told Danny, smirking while Danny spluttered at her.) Kono hadn't had any trouble at all keeping Gail on the line long enough for Chin to trace it, so they were very sure that the girl was there.

None of them particularly felt like driving all the way to the north end of the island that night, though, especially since Gail was staying over a mile from the nearest paved road, so Chin and Danny had moved on to discussing where they should meet in Kailua the next morning. They had already decided on when, planning to meet around five so they could all eat and then make it up to Kahuku by dawn in hopes of catching Gail before she had a reason to go anywhere.

“Seriously, there has to be _somewhere_ besides Zippy’s that’s open for breakfast before six, even in Kailua,” Danny said again, looking skeptical. “I mean, I know it’s not a _big_ town or anything, but we have a _Starbucks_ , for Christ’s sake.”

Steve smirked at Danny including himself as part of Kailua, still not sure why Danny so passionately hated Zippy’s but as always amused by it. Steve had grabbed a meal at the Kailua Zippy’s so many times he couldn’t begin to count, but Danny wouldn’t go there unless his life depended on it. Steve knew it wasn’t the food, since he had driven to Zippy’s to get their breakfast a few times. Danny liked Zippy’s food just fine when Steve didn’t tell Danny where he got it, and he had liked the sausages in particular so much that he stole Steve’s right off of his plate.

“Not according to the computer,” Chin disagreed, lips curving slightly in amusement. “I’ve run a search every way I can, Danny, on Bing _and_ Google. Unless you want breakfast from Zippy’s or a gas station, we’re not eating in Kailua before six.” His lips twitched. “Which is when the Starbucks and most everywhere that serves breakfast opens.”

“There’s not even _one_ all-night diner?” Danny asked, looking kind of surprised as it finally sank in.

“Just Zippy’s,” Chin said patiently, still looking amused. “And their food is good, I don’t know why you hate going there so much.”

“I don’t eat anywhere called Mom’s or Dad’s, or anywhere that sounds like someone named it after their _dog_ ,” Danny said firmly.

“Just come to our place,” Steve said, amused by the way everyone looked at him as he sat up a little. “I’ll _make_ breakfast. We’ve got eggs and bacon, and I have everything I need to make waffles or pancakes.”

“Real waffles, or those whole wheat things?” Danny asked quickly, looking a little wary.

“I got that mix you like on Friday when I went after groceries while you and Gracie watched _‘Finding Nemo’_ again,” Steve replied, amused. “And before you ask, I remembered to get you maple syrup, too.”

“Have you got your homemade pineapple-mango syrup for the rest of us?” Kono asked hopefully. “Or the pomegranate?”

“Both,” Steve said, grinning. “And plenty of fruit and Redi Whip, if you want some on your waffles.”

Kono beamed and looked at Chin. “I vote we eat at their place. He makes awesome pancakes.”

“Works for me,” Danny agreed, looking kind of pleased.

“So it’s settled,” Chin said, smiling as he shut down the computer for the night. “And now we can all go home.”

“Yes, home,” Danny agreed, scooping Lilo up out of his lap as he kicked his feet off the corner of the table. “So I can go move my crap and still make it into bed sometime before midnight.”

Steve laughed. “Leave it until tomorrow, Danno. Mary can sleep in her room with your stuff still in the dresser tonight, it won’t kill her.”

“Mary’s staying with you?” Chin asked quickly, curious.

“Yeah, she was there when we stopped to change clothes,” Steve said, getting up out of his chair. “She said _somebody_ told her Danny and I finally figured things out, so she wanted to see for herself if it was true.”

Chin laughed and headed quickly towards his office. “I just remembered, I have to get something out of my office. Good night to you both.”

“Night,” Danny said, amused.

Kono raised one hand with a little laugh, looking sheepish. “That might have been me, Boss. Mary and I have been wondering if you two would ever get a clue for _months_ , so I _had_ to tell her Danny had accidentally asked you to marry him.”

Danny laughed, blushing as he stood up to head towards his office with Lilo. “I am _never_ going to hear the end of _that_ , I’m sure.”

“Not in this lifetime, brah,” Kono agreed cheerfully, grinning as she got up.

Steve grinned a little wider, waiting until Danny was in his office and then looking at Kono as he murmured, “Remind me to send Rachel some flowers.”

Kono laughed, glancing towards Danny’s office and then looking back at Steve as she asked softly, “What for, Boss?”

“It’s her fault I’m not sleeping alone anymore,” Steve said softly, winking at Kono and then starting towards the door as he called more loudly, “Danno, come on! Leave the dog’s stuff, we’ll just need it here again tomorrow.”

“We need her leash _now_ , babe,” Danny countered, coming back out of his office with Lilo’s leash on her. “She’s going to need walked at least twice tonight, and again in the morning.”

“Yeah, she will,” Steve agreed, amused as he held his hand out. “Keys.”

“Only because I’m holding the dog,” Danny said with a laugh, digging out his keys and then tossing them to Steve as they both started for the door. “G’night, Kono. See you at breakfast.”

“We’ll be there, brah,” Kono said cheerfully, and when Steve glanced at her he saw she was grinning from ear to ear. “Sleep well, you two.”

“We will,” Steve agreed, opening the door to hold it for Danny and then glancing back at Kono again with a smirk. “Eventually.” Kono laughed as Steve added, “ _Aloha ahiahi, kaikuahine_.”

“ _Aloha, kaikunane_ ,” Kono called after them just before the door closed, still laughing.

Steve had to hurry a few steps to catch up to Danny, then he slowed to walk next to him. “You wouldn’t sleep with me with Grace across the hall, but that doesn’t fly when it’s just Mary, right?”

Danny snorted, looking at him. “There’s a stereo in her room, and she’s had to listen to you before anyway, so no. _But_ , I expect you to at least _try_ to be quiet. I mean, she is your _sister_.”

“What about you?” Steve asked, laughing. “ _I_ can be quiet. I was in the military for years where getting caught meant getting a discharge or worse, so I’m very good at keeping my mouth shut when I have to.” He smirked. “Or full.”

Danny grinned, not looking at him as he pushed open the door leading outside. “I’ll figure something out, babe.”

“Good to know,” Steve said cheerfully, grinning.

 

~*~

 

Steve was driving well over the speed limit as they headed up the Pali Highway towards Kailua and home, but there wasn’t much traffic that time of night so Danny didn’t really mind. Normally he would complain about Steve topping eighty when there wasn’t an emergency involved, but just at that moment he was feeling a little anxious himself and completely understood Steve’s desire to get home quickly.

Somehow staying half an hour at the office had turned into staying an hour, and then walking Lilo had had ended up being an excuse for Danny and Steve to stand around kissing in the moonlight in the deserted dog park while Lilo sprawled in the grass at their feet gnawing on a stick. It was nearly eleven by the time they were leaving town to head home, but neither of them regretted it in the slightest. They had fallen into a companionable silence in the car, both of them just wanting to get home, so Danny was a little surprised when Steve suddenly reached for the stereo, turning it on and then starting to play the CD that was in it.

“ _Long slow drive down an old dirt road. You've got your hand out the window, listening to the radio. That's where I wanna be..._ ”

Danny looked at Steve in surprise, watching him as he listened to the familiar song. The last time he remembered listening to a CD in the Camaro was two weeks ago, when he had mistakenly agreed to let Gracie play her new CD after he picked her up that Friday for his weekend with her. He had regretted saying yes so easily all the way home, and _still_ wanted to turn and run whenever someone mentioned the name Justin Bieber.

“ _On an old park bench in the middle of December, cold hard rain fallin', can't find no cover. That would be alright with me... Hard days, good times, blue skies, dark nights. Baby, I want you to take me … wherever you're going to. Maybe, say that you'll save me …  a seat next to you._ ”

“Bon Jovi?” Danny asked softly, making Steve look at him.

Steve smiled, his eyes dark and sparkling in the dim light from the instrument panel as he murmured, “They’ve got some good music.”

Danny just looked at Steve a moment, smiling, and then he said, “I thought you didn’t like Bon Jovi.”

“I never said that,” Steve said, looking amused as he glanced at the road, dodging around a battered old pickup and then looking back at Danny. “I just made you _think_ that when I pretended not to believe they do good music.” He grinned suddenly. “And I might have mentioned since then that I like watching you yell, which should be a good clue as to why.”

Danny laughed. “You asshole.”

Steve reached over with his free hand, grabbing Danny’s hand to lace their fingers together as he looked back towards the road, smirking. “Maybe sometimes, but I’m your asshole.”

“Kinda scares me how much I actually like hearing that,” Danny admitted, giving Steve’s hand a squeeze as he smiled and looked at the road ahead of them.

There weren’t any cars in front of them for the moment, just the open road lit only by the moonlight and the Camaro’s headlights, and it wasn’t long before the song changed. Danny listened to the Unplugged version of ‘ _Make a Memory_ ’ for a few moments and then found his gaze drifting to Steve again as he smiled, wondering if Steve had just put together songs by Bon Jovi that he particularly liked, or if the songs were intended as a message to Danny.

Steve glanced at him after a moment and then gave him a gentle, loving smile that made Danny wish they were already home instead of flying up the Pali Highway. He suddenly wanted to kiss Steve until both of them were breathless, which took a surprisingly long make-out session in Steve’s case, and that wasn’t really something they could do while the car was hurtling down a dark highway at over eighty miles an hour. They had a habit of forgetting everything around them when they kissed, and Danny wasn’t about to leave Grace without a father because he couldn’t wait twenty minutes longer to kiss his partner.

“What are you thinking?” Steve asked, still smiling.

“Wishing we were home already,” Danny admitted quietly, gazing into Steve’s eyes a moment longer before he added, “You should be watching the road a little more. We’re almost to Kailua.”

“I should,” Steve agreed, finally looking back towards the road. “I’ll need my hand back in a minute too, but I don’t really want to let you go. Not tonight.”

Danny glanced back to check on Lilo, who was stretched out in her carrier sound asleep, and then he looked back towards the road in front of them as he admitted softly, “I feel the same, but we can wait another twenty minutes.”

Steve glanced at Danny again. “I can get us home faster than that.”

Danny laughed softly and looked back over at Steve. “I’m sure you can, but we’re both tired and it’s dark, and you’ll survive not getting yet another trip up the runway tonight.”

Steve grinned. “I can drive the runway in the dark.”

“I know,” Danny agreed, amused. “I’ve been in the car with you when you did, but _tonight_ we are going to pretend we’re normal people and actually drive home on regular city streets at something remotely resembling the speed limit so we don’t give any rookies on the Kailua PD a heart attack.”

“Spoilsport,” Steve said, but he was still grinning so Danny knew he wasn’t really unhappy, even though he had to release Danny’s hand to grab the stick shift and downshift as they crossed the city limits and he slowed the Camaro to something a lot closer to the posted speed limit of 45.

Danny snorted, trying not to laugh. “If I was a spoilsport, you’d be sleeping on the couch tonight.”

Steve laughed, his eyebrows going up. “You think I’d really let you kick me out of my own bed?”

“If you know what’s good for you, yes,” Danny agreed, smirking at Steve. “You could argue, but we both know you won’t win that one.”

“Since when?” Steve asked, looking like he wanted to laugh again.

“Since Mary took my bed, and I am _not_ sleeping in Grace’s dolphin fantasy of a bedroom that _you_ decorated for her,” Danny replied, still smirking. “That leaves your bed, which you so kindly invited me to consider as my own.”

“If either of us sleeps on the couch, it should be you,” Steve said, still looking kind of surprised and a lot amused. “It’s _my bed_.”

“But I’ve slept on your couch,” Danny countered. “That singular pleasure is now reserved for you, sweetheart, ‘cause I am _so_ not doing it again. I could barely walk after the last time.”

Steve laughed again. “That’s because you got tackled the day before, not because of my couch! It’s perfectly comfortable!”

Danny smirked. “Then you won’t mind sleeping on it, should the need arise for you to learn a lesson.”

Steve snorted, looking at the road and obviously amused as he said, “No, whenever I piss you off that bad, I’ll just suck your cock until you’re too tired to argue with me about letting me sleep in my own bed.” He glanced at Danny, smirking and smug. “I’m thinking twice, tops, and you’ll be perfectly happy to share my bed as long as I let you sleep.”

Danny blinked and stared at Steve a moment, remembering that morning in the shower, and then he grinned as he looked back at the road ahead of them. “That is a distinct possibility.”

Steve reached over and put his hand on Danny’s thigh then, and when Danny glanced at him he saw Steve was still looking smug and pleased.

Danny had to work at it not to snicker, covering Steve’s hand with his own as he muttered, “God, I’m in so far over my head.”

“Don’t worry, _ipo_ ,” Steve murmured, smug and confident as he turned his hand over under Danny’s to tangle their fingers together again. “I’m a SEAL, I won’t ever let you drown.”

Danny couldn’t keep from laughing at that, sure it was true.

 

 


End file.
